Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with norms

Barefoot, pregnant, and slaving over a hot stove

ivanka — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:14:47 -0800

Where the expression "barefoot, pregnant, and slaving over a hot stove" came from? What is the history of it in English speaking countries?

Is Mrs still expected?

mdn — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:39:16 -0800

If you are recently married and have taken your husband's last name, do you go by "Mrs"? I know some women of the previous generation still use Mrs (like Mrs Clinton) and I have been perhaps slightly surprised to see a good percentage of my generation taking their husband's name as they get married, but I don't know if they imagine being addressed as Mrs Hislastname, or if Ms Hislastname makes sense.

When I worked as a telemarketer about 15 years ago, I offended most of the people I called on the first day by switching from "Mrs" to "Ms" (to me, "Mrs" was already outdated then) but that was a limited sample, probably older, probably non-working...

So, would either Mrs or Ms offend? And which would be preferable if both are acceptable?

How else to endure all those rituals?

The Whelk — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 10:12:22 -0800

You live at Versailles in 1658. You're nobility of the blood. You know the King. What drugs, drinks, or other ways of getting totally fucked up are available to you? How often could you partake before people started to Have A Problem with it? Aside from alcohol, of course, which would be in abundance, but what kind? Wine? Beer? What kind of spirits? I know laudanum was available, and cocoa leaves mixed with tobacco enjoyed a fad but smoking was looked down on. I think. What other ways did the French Court get totally ripped? Would coffee be around? Would it be spiked? Marijuana? Hashish? More powerful concentrations of opiates? Coca Leaves processed into cocaine? Exotically dangerous substances?

I can get us to the Inaugural, but do I have a thing to wear?!

deejay jaydee — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 08:43:31 -0800

[I-know-you're-not-my-mom-filter] So what should I wear to the Inauguration? I know, it seems like a ridiculously simple question. I 've seen this question, and while it's useful, it's not really addressing my question. In short, what is appropriate wear to the Inaugural Swearing-In ceremony?

We managed to win the "lottery" at my House Rep's. office (thus insuring that I will ALWAYS vote for my current H.R., but that's neither here nor there), and so, two of us will be going to watch the President-Elect take the oath of office and deliver his Inaugural Speech (which seems to be one of the most anticipated rhetorical events in a generation, but again, that's not my question).

Judging from the official site, I know enough to dress for weather, and not to bring any weapons or umbrellas, but my question is really more about etiquette (and therefore, maybe a bit anachronistic?): in short, should I wear a tie to the ceremony? Should I get dressed up? FYI, this is two men going: one 40-something and one teenager (I'm sure he'll wear what he likes, which is fine with me).

I'm planning on wearing my trench coat, which is warm and will keep me dry . . . but will the norm be for men to wear suits (or sports coats) and ties? Or is it wear whatever?

I'm planning on dressing comfortably (I don't mind wearing a tie, as I regularly do so for work), so I'm not going to be wearing a tux or anything like that. And we're not going to any of the other events, just the Swearing-In. But what will most folks be wearing? And should that make a difference?

For what it's worth, this is personally an important event to me, and I'd like to think that what I wear would reflect the respect I'd like to show to our next president, as well as our system of government; even though it's imperfect, there are some times when we get it right, which is one of the reasons I'm excited to go. I'm hoping that the green can offer some thoughtful responses to what should be a simple question . . .

Hotel Laundry

yarrow — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 04:54:19 -0800

How does hotel laundry work? I've never used hotel laundry services before, but I'm running out of time before a business trip. How much do they usually cost? How quick is the turnaround? Anything else I should know about the usual M.O.? This will be a Hyatt in the midwest US, but I'm interested in general norms, really.

The Lowdown: Online Dating Etiquette

cookie googleman — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 17:50:04 -0800

I'm a female about to venture into the world of online dating. Are there any norms/rules/trends that I should know about? Not that I would blindly follow rules— I would just like to be aware of them.

Hold the door!

Slimemonster — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 17:02:51 -0800

Social-convention filter: Why do I feel obliged to hold the door open for women but they do not for me? Maybe this is just a Seattle thing, but I was always taught to hold the door open for women (for men too, I suppose) and people are generally appreciative of it. However, when someone is right behind me and I don't see them and I let the door go and they have to open it themselves, I get different reactions from men and women. Men just grab the door, open it themselves and move on. Women often cluck their tongues or roll their eyes at me like I might just be the biggest asshole in the world. In addition to this, I'd say like 25% of the time women hold doors open for me, instead leaving me to my own devices.
What do people have to say about this phenomenon? I would assume it just something that's been socialized into our society, but is it this way across cultures and nations? Or am I just reading too much into other people's reactions?

Regional Fashion

jdroth — Fri, 12 Dec 2003 08:50:26 -0800

What are unwritten rules of dress in different parts of the country? Is the Pacific Northwest really more lax than other regions? Why do the differences exist? [more inside] I've lived all my life just outside Portland, Oregon. Around here, there's no real dress code for public outings (such as dining in restaurants, going to a football game, attending a concert). Sure, for some events, one might want to wear a button-down shirt, but that's about it.

I know one woman who has lived most of her life on the east coast. She's appalled by the casual dress in the Pacific Northwest. She dress up to go out to fast food. Another friend went to college in Texas. She says that there it was normal to wear fine clothes to a football game. A football game?

I've even heard it said that in some parts of the country, people dress well to go to the grocery store. I wouldn't think twice about buying produce in sweats!