ArcaMax

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My wife and I had an amazing and intimate honeymoon in the Leeward Islands. In the spirit of the occasion, we booked first-class tickets for our flights.

During boarding for the return leg, the flight attendant asked if we would like anything to drink. We requested champagne to commemorate a perfect week spent together. The ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: As a teacher for the past 30 years, I have been fortunate to receive thoughtful gifts of thanks and appreciation from my students and their families during the holiday season and at the end of the school year. These gifts often include mugs, chocolates, baked goods or gift cards. (Between us, I will admit that my favorite ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: What's happened to mealtime conversation?

We have friends who are perfectly capable of talking about all kinds of interesting subjects, but only so long as there is no food in front of them. If we meet at restaurants or for meals at each other's houses, all they ever talk about is the food. They grill (sorry!) waitstaff at ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Self-service fountain machines at pizza parlors and delis have the different sugary sodas labeled with big buttons, while there are often smaller black "water" and "soda" buttons below.

I have always believed that the aerated water dispensed by the "soda" button is still just water, meaning I can fill up a cup for free. After...Read more