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. […]
Category: Etiquette
All about etiquette.
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 […]
Sidewalk Manners
I think there are two types of people in the world: those who never move to the side to let another walker pass easily, and those polite, considerate, charming, lovely sidewalk shifters who gladly step aside when confronted with someone straight ahead. I’m a shifter, of course ~ always have been, always will. Who knows […]
Narrow and Limited Views
[Note: written back during that oh-so-famous presidential election…remember the hanging chads?] So the election is not determined yet, and I’ve been having dreams about counting and recounting. This week’s selection goes out to our dear candidates, their lawyers, the media, the Florida state officials, and everyone else involved in this crazy political mess. It’s from […]
Dear Lovey Dovey
Q Dear Miss Abigail: My boyfriend is going away for a month and I was just wondering if you had any neat things that we could do to keep in touch. Plus, he’s sixteen and I’m thirteen so it’s really hard for me to trust him while he’s down there. Signed, Anonymous A Dear Anonymous: […]