DEAR MISS MANNERS: What is the proper dining etiquette with regard to the hand that is not holding a utensil? When we traveled to Europe, the locals did not like that my unused arm was in my lap, as ...

DEAR MISS MANNERS: What is the proper way for my 16-year-old daughters, who are twins, to respond when a friend asks them, “What do you want for your birthday?” They are having a small party, and one ...

DEAR MISS MANNERS: What is the correct response to a critical unsolicited letter? I am in my 30s, and sadly have been estranged from my parents for the past few years due to abuse. I periodically ...

A left-handed person questions whether there’s proper etiquette for how buffet tongs should be positioned after use, noting ...

In today's Miss Manners column, advice columnist Judith Martin responds to a left-handed reader asking about the proper way ...

DEAR MISS MANNERS: When I was in college, a friend’s family graciously opened their home to me for a couple of months while I worked a summer job near their home, which was an hour from my family’s. I ...

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have a few old friends scattered around the country who will only talk on the phone if they’re actively doing something else. This leads to a variety of acoustic challenges: wind ...

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was taught that at formal dinner parties, bread plates were not used, and that they were not considered part of a formal place setting for multi-course meals. Now, I am given to ...

Dianne Isbell has written an etiquette column for the Belleville News-Democrat since 1987. She served as director of protocol for U.S. Air Force Communications Command before retiring in 2001. Derik ...

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I attended two touring Broadway shows, and many families were at each performance. For one show, some people wore costumes: Across from me, a child had on a rather large hat the ...

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have a last name that my family has pronounced a particular way through the generations, and that most English speakers, looking at the name, pronounce in a more phonetic way. If ...

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have a last name that my family has pronounced a particular way through the generations, and that most English speakers, looking at the name, pronounce in a more phonetic way. If ...