Etiquette
Non-existent phrases
‘Ten Norwegian phrases that don’t exist in English but should,’ said the headline. So I had a little look, as…
Dear Mary
Q. I have moved from London to the centre of a historic market town, now becoming famous as a foodie…
Dear Mary
Q. For ten years, I have made a reasonable freelance income working from home. During this time my husband has…
Your problems solved
Q. Someone I was at university with but hadn’t seen much of over the ten years since invited me to…
Dear Mary
Q. When sending wedding invitations, does one put the full titles on the card, or can one just put, for…
Your problems solved
Q. I’m a single bloke now and for various reasons don’t foresee any change to that status. I have moved…
Your problems solved
Q. A wonderful and generous woman invites me, on a regular basis, to dinner parties at her house. What is…
Dear Mary
Q. I have regularly stayed with a hospitable friend in London but now hesitate to invite myself. She is seventy-something…
Your problems solved
Q. The woman who lives above me has insomnia and walks around all night. I’m also disturbed by her rather…
Lapsing into a comma
Modern manners and the fear of the full stop
Dear Mary
Q. A neighbour is hosting a party for his daughter’s 21st birthday. Adequate provision has been made for anyone who…
Dear Mary
Q. After a recent dinner I found myself on a two-seater sofa enjoying the restful company of a woman who…
Dear Mary
Q. We enjoyed the Christmas University Challenge series featuring mature graduates, some of whom were more in the public eye than…
Dear Mary: Your Problems Solved
Q. Since recycling was introduced in our village, the wall at the end of our drive has become the depositing…
Dear Mary
Once again Mary has invited some of her favourite figures in the public eye to submit personal queries for her…
Dear Mary: Your problems solved
Q. There has been a marked increase in the number of people who have pristine flooring and are so keen…
Diary
Oh God, it’s happened again. Another evening where I’m surrounded by people I know personally or have interviewed, and I…
Dear Mary
Q. What is the correct thing to say to a writer friend whose book you haven’t read? I buy most…
Dear Mary
Q. My future son-in-law has been successfully house-trained in the use of upper-middle-class English over the years that he has…
Dear Mary
Q. I am organising my 21st birthday party at our family house in Italy. It is a fantastic location, but…
Dear Mary
Q. What can you do when disorganised friends say they would love to come to a concert with you but…
Dear Mary
Q. I have been trying to get an apprenticeship in fashion for over a year without success. I just had…
Dear Mary
Q. When someone gives you anti-ageing cream as a present, is that an insult or a compliment? — A.O., Provence…
Dear Mary
Q. My neighbour is really lovely and always helps me chainsaw trees. He used to be the herdsman at the…
Dear Mary
Q. We have taken a flat in Edinburgh for a month and a young girl, temporarily homeless and a friend…
