Q Dear Miss Abigail: You rock my web-world! Right on about the annoying marriage question ~ what a drag to be denied respect just because one’s status is single. My problem is that I live in small apartment building in close proximity to my neighbors. I don’t find any of them personally repugnant; however, I […]
Month: August 2010
Temper, Temper, Temper!
Q Dear Miss Abigail: Is it polite to throw things at people? Signed, Miss Kate A Dear Miss Kate: Hmmm . . . why do I think you already know the answer to this question? But just in case you need a refresher course in common sense, I’ve located the following excerpts: the first is […]
Hate the Late?
Q Dear Miss Abigail: What do you do when someone is always late? Signed, Faye A Dear Faye: I think I have just the opposite problem. I always think I’m going to be late, but no matter how much I try, I am generally on time. How does that happen? Anyway, here are some interesting words […]
School Days
I spotted my first back-to-schoolers this morning. They looked so eager, with their empty backpacks and spiffy new clothes. Makes me want to stock up on my favorite Garanimals, just like the good old days. This one goes out to all the bright-eyed schoolchildren out there. It’s from M. Thelma McAndless’s handy pamphlet titled Manners Today. […]
The Blame Game
Q Dear Miss Abigail: My wife and I have been noticing lately that very few people apologize anymore for their mistakes, especially vendors who have given poor service or who have delivered a defective product. We think it is because people in general feel more beleaguered, and also because we live in such a litigious […]
Stop Cutting the Cheese, Please
Q Dear Miss Abigail: I have a little problem. I can’t contain my gas. In school I cut the cheese at least once every hour. Usually I go to the bathroom, but sometimes the teacher won’t let me go or I can’t get to the bathroom on time. Everyone laughs at me when I “fart.” […]
Sweetness and Kindness
Honey sweetie pie! Sweetness! Baby sweetie darling! Here are some words on this lovely subject from volume one of Frances Dare’s Lovely Ladies: The Art of Being a Woman. Hope you enjoy it, sweetheart. 1929: Sweetness and Kindness Every real woman must be sweet, and she must express her sweetness in kindness. The real sweetness that […]
Thank Me Now For This Advice
Q Dear Miss Abigail: I need to send a thank you note for something that was given to me two months ago. How can I do it without seeming too beggy-sorry-sappy? Signed, Wizzbo A Dear Wizzbo: My advice to you is to get that thank you note sent right away, before it gets really awkward. Here […]
Respect Your Elders, You Little Punk!
Q Dear Miss Abigail: I want to know if you’re over one hundred because this site is making me fall asleep like my grandma makes me do. So, are you over one hundred? Do you wear dentures, or do you prefer a wig? Signed, Old Lady Hater A Dear Hater: Tsk, tsk. I’m ashamed of […]
Etiquette’s Reward
Here’s a refresher course on etiquette, brought to you by Lillian Eichler’s Book of Etiquette. Enjoy! 1923: Etiquette’s Reward Etiquette is like the binding of a book ~ just as the binding reveals the name of the book, and protects the valuable pages that are inside, so does etiquette reveal the breeding and culture of an […]