Ask Mister Manners: I’m dreading Christmas this year. Can I just skip it?
Q. My brother and sister have not been speaking with one another for a year, and I'm caught in the middle. If my brother hosts the family festivities, it's a...
All Stories
Ask Mister Manners: Did my husband’s box braids make him guilty of cultural appropriation?
Q. My husband, who is a Japanese man with lustrous long hair, recently decided to have it box-braided at a salon by us in New York. Although the process took...
Ask Mister Manners: How do I tell my brother to sit still on my family’s Zoom calls?
Q. I have a brother who simply cannot sit still on a Zoom call. While my other family members and I are in relaxed positions seated by our respective laptops,...
Ask Mister Manners: Is there a nice way to say I won’t serve as a job reference?
Q: A former colleague has asked me to serve as a reference. Although he's a great guy, I don't think very highly of his work, and would not hire him...
Ask Mister Manners: Should I request a separate check?
Is it right for my friends to expect we split a check evenly when I ordered just an appetizer and they all ordered multiple courses? I suspect some version of...
Ask Mister Manners: Should I ask my birthday party guests if they’ve been vaccinated?
I'm having a birthday bash in a few weeks and am eager to hang out with my friends — many of whom I have not seen since before the pandemic...
Ask Mister Manners: Is it fine to decline a plus-one guest request?
How do I respond to a friend who requests to bring an uninvited plus-one to a birthday party or to an event at a private club? For most occasions, providing...
Ask Mister Manners: Am I too little, too late, with my COVID condolences?
An acquaintance of mine lost her husband to COVID-19 during the height of the pandemic. Frankly, though I learned about it on social media, I didn't feel a simple "sorry...
Ask Mister Manners: How long can I be expected to keep an eye on someone else’s things?
If I'm in a park or public place, is there a reasonable time limit for watching a stranger's belongings once I've accepted their request to do so? I've been on...
Ask Mister Manners: Am I obligated to join in all workplace festivities?
I just joined an office where they go all out to celebrate birthdays. They decorate, bake things and, of course, exchange gifts. I've never practiced this level of celebration in...