Q. I work at home and the other day was heading out to buy a sandwich when I ran into a friend outside a local restaurant. She invited me to join her, and one of my artist heroes, inside. I accepted but when we entered I could see that a man who I always try to avoid was already sitting at the table. I knew his presence would be a vibe-changer and I was right. But Mary, how could I have made a getaway at that very late stage without being openly rude?

– Name and address withheld

A. You could have gasped that just as you were about to turn off your telephone you saw a message saying your burglar alarm had gone off and so you would have to rush back to your house to put things right. ‘Please don’t wait for me,’ you could have said. ‘The alarm is faulty but the last time this happened it was two hours before it could be turned off again.’

Q. A close friend is bringing her new boyfriend to a dinner party we’re hosting. We’ve never met him but have discovered he’s a chef in a Michelin-starred restaurant. What on earth do we cook for such a discerning guest?

– G.C., London SW1

A. Don’t forget that this chef will really enjoy the novelty of not having to cook himself. He will be coming for the company and as long as he is not poisoned, might even get a perverse pleasure from eating something that hasn’t worked out very well. Chefs love nothing better than non-cheffy food. Make something simple like a shepherd’s pie, with plenty of ketchup and Worcester sauce available, as chefs’ taste-buds are often blunted from years of tasting in their kitchens.

Q. Several times in the past few months I have been asked if I have any grandchildren. I’m 59 – so theoretically I could easily be a grandmother, but there’s a bit of me that feels rather disappointed that I give the appearance of looking old enough to be one. I’d like to answer to that effect, but would this be too prickly?

– S.H., Woodborough, Wilts

A. Yes, too prickly. Why not make your answer interesting. ‘Did you know that there was a woman in West Yorkshire of 103 who was Britain’s only great-great-great grandmother? I am afraid I’ve already lost the chance of imitating her.’

Q. My boss is American and insists on ‘fist-bumping’. I would rather avoid this ostentatious and awkward greeting. How do you recommend that I achieve that?

– Mr A. Hay, by email

A. But it’s obviously a good sign that he wants to fist-bump – it suggests he is pleased with your performance. Surely, therefore, it’s much more awkward to do that British thing of jumping back to avoid any physical contact. Instead chill out and go with the flow.