Miss Manners: How do I tell my father to stop hitting on our waitresses?

Dear Miss Manners: I am a 23 year old woman with a 54 year old father. In restaurants, he often makes comments to waitresses, asking them if they are married or if they have a significant other. This bothers me terribly, because these questions are scarier than he thinks.

Is there any advice you could give me on how to politely tell him he’s a creepy old man?

“Ask strangers a professional frame on the status of their relationship is simply not appropriate. I’m sure you don’t want to make young women appear predatory.

What if your father insists that he comes from a different, more innocent time? Miss Manners suggests you remind him how this excuse has worked lately for some prominent men his age and older.

Dear Miss Manners: We often hear the word “please” pronounced in a misapplied way. For example, on game shows, contestants add the word “please” when informing the host of the category or letter they want: “E, please” or ” “Popular Quotes” for $200, please.

The use of “please” in these cases seems inappropriate. If it is to be used, we think it should be the host of the program saying something like, “Please make a selection.” These are just a few public examples, and we are increasingly hearing “please” used similarly in other public and private situations. Your thoughts?

Having devoted her a lifetime of trying to get people to be decent to each other, let alone polite, Miss Manners is hardly going to condemn a rare public example. The host and contestants should say “please.” Furthermore, she finds it hard to imagine any other situation, public or private, where a “please” would not be welcome. Unless, of course, it’s said sarcastically.

Dear Miss Manners: I host a ladies tea every year, which is presented in a formal and somewhat over-the-top way. I like to include champagne, usually served in a glass. But one day, I decided to put small individual bottles on each place setting. Most of my guests seemed to find it amusing. However, one said: “I won’t drink mine just yet, but I will take it home.” »

I was surprised by this. This was like choosing not to eat the tea sandwiches and instead asking for them to be packaged to take home. Was this a violation of guest etiquette, in my opinion?

Well… While a whole, A little bottle of champagne may seem like a cute touch, Miss Manners understands how it could easily be mistaken for a party favor. The prospect of having to uncork, pour and not be able to finish the bottle at the table may have caused confusion. If you don’t want your guests grabbing the libations, Miss Manners suggests that next year you start serving them their drinks again.

New Miss Manners columns are published Monday to Saturday on washingtonpost.com/advice. You can send questions to Miss Manners on her website, missmanners.com. You can also follow her @RealMissManners.