Thomas P. Farley

Ask Mister Manners: Licking your fingers is an unhygienic habit for a hostess

May 18, 2021 at 7:03 p.m.

Finger-Licking Good What do you say to a hostess who licks her fingers while serving a cake, smacking her fingers clean after each cut? Following a year in which even...

If you're able to work from home and don't have to commute or go into work for the time being, it's a fantastic opportunity for you to finally start eating breakfast. In fact, research shows that breakfast can provide a mental boost. While the coffee is brewing, scramble some fluffy eggs and grab a slice of toast for a healthy start to the day.

Mister Manners: ‘I feel a sneeze coming on in my mask’

July 22, 2020 at 5:32 p.m.

GESUNDHEIT Q: I've occasionally found myself in public (where I always wear a face mask) and needing to sneeze. What's the etiquette for how to do so when I have...

Mister Manners: ‘Do I tip for a hair house call?’

July 15, 2020 at 3:02 p.m.

SPLIT ENDS MEET WIT'S END Q: No sooner had California started opening salons than they are shutting down again. Ugh! After four months, I've had it with my unruly hair...

Mister Manners: Help! I’m Karen — not a ‘Karen’

June 25, 2020 at 5:16 p.m.

A KAREN WHO CARES Q: I've gone my whole life very happy with my name. But almost overnight, the name Karen has become slang for a particular type of woman...

Mister Manners: ‘My son’s a freeloader’

June 24, 2020 at 11:42 p.m.

REUNITED AND IT FEELS SO RUDE Q: I have a 26-year-old son who's moved back home to North Dakota to wait out the pandemic with my husband, our 15-year-old daughter...

Mister Manners: ‘Help! I can’t afford pricey gifts right now’

June 10, 2020 at 4:58 p.m.

OKAY TO RECEIVE AND NOT GIVE? Q: As do several of my friends, I have a teenager who's a 2020 high-school graduate. Ideally, I would be giving gifts to their...

Mister Manners: ‘Will they call me racist?’

June 4, 2020 at 2:59 p.m.

A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH Q: My next-door neighbors have a "Black Lives Matter" sign on their front yard. I find it troubling that anyone—regardless of race—would promote the...

Mister Manners: ‘Can I hit the door-close button on an elevator?’

May 27, 2020 at 5:17 p.m.

ROOM FOR ONE MORE? Q: I live in a high-rise with a diverse mix of residents, from recent college graduates to retirees. The elevator is slower than molasses and gets...

Mister Manners: ‘A home-wrecker lives above me’

May 21, 2020 at 5:19 p.m.

CAUSING A COMMOTION Q: My upstairs neighbors have an energetic two-year-old who spends his day knocking things over. With both of his parents working from home and daycare closed, I...

Mister Manners: ‘My neighbor is quarantining in the nude’

May 18, 2020 at 3:47 p.m.

Etiquette tips on how to interact in today's world. Have a question for Mister Manners? Send your queries to info@whatmannersmost.com and look for replies in the coming weeks. THE NAKED...

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