Asking Eric: I delight in gossiping. My husband wants me to quit.
It's hurting our marriage, but I don't even want to cut back.
Advice
Harriette Cole: I’m being shamed for my unconventional résumé
So it's not a straight path. That's no reason to write me off.
Miss Manners: I’m shocked to learn my grandma was a coquette
And Gramps just laughed! How are we supposed to take this?
Dear Abby: Am I asking too much of my father, the hermit?
I know he loves his grandchildren but he never shows up.
Asking Eric: My friend may be the long-ago bully of the man I’m dating
How can I figure out what really happened?
Harriette Cole: She’s gaslighting our friend group about the man she’s with
I feel like I'm entitled to details.
Miss Manners: It seems wrong to call my grandson by his first name
He is a doctor, after all.
Dear Abby: My maid of honor is refusing to plan the shower I want
I offered to help pay; she says I'm violating etiquette.
Asking Eric: I was proud to be in my daughter’s artwork. What she said crushed me.
I don't know why I can't just brush it off as teenage snottiness.
Dear Abby: My disdainful twin wants to hire me as her baby’s nanny
I think it's a bad idea, and I said no. Now her husband won't speak...
Asking Eric: People I just met keep asking me out, and I can’t do that
How do I say no without hurting their feelings?
Harriette Cole: I blame myself for the tripping accident that paralyzed my child
Plus: My sister is demanding that my son move in with his cousin.
Miss Manners: A frosty relative made a donation in my name. How should I respond?
Plus: The service was really bad. Which customer had the better strategy?
Dear Abby: She’s always attending strangers’ funerals. Isn’t that disrespectful?
She says it's no big deal because she keeps to herself.
Asking Eric: This workplace drama has me wondering if I’m the problem
How can I find out if my co-workers are talking about me?
Harriette Cole: I thought I was on mute. Now I’m afraid I’ll lose my job.
The entire Zoom meeting went silent.
Miss Manners: I thought this was my forever job until I heard my co-worker joke about me
Worse, my manager laughed.
Dear Abby: She hasn’t paid back my $4,200, but she took a vacation
I was thinking of her kids when I lent it to her.
Harriette Cole: I want to set this one rule for my Gen Z daughter
She disrespects my wishes by staying over with a guy I don't like.
Asking Eric: I suspect the story about the exclusionary sisters left something out
Why didn't the "injured party" speak up when there was time to fix things?
Miss Manners: I find my teenage grandson’s public prayer horrifying
But I don't want to hurt his feelings when he asks me to join him.
Dear Abby: Our popular teen daughter is playing this boy, and I’m disgusted
She says she's "using what God gave her" to better her life.
Asking Eric: This past year at work broke me. My husband tells me to get over it.
My rose-colored glasses shattered and I don't want to go back.
Harriette Cole: My new guy made a request, and I don’t know how I feel about it
He claims I'm always welcome to sleep over, but I'm uneasy nevertheless.
Miss Manners: Am I allowed to correct rude teens in front of their parents?
Plus: I paid for the meal, and my siblings seized all the to-go boxes.
Dear Abby: My dead friend’s daughter doesn’t want to hear the truth
Normally I would keep my mouth shut, but she's punishing her father for what he...
Asking Eric: I’m sure my co-worker lied about having a boyfriend, and it confuses me
I don't know what kind of relationship she wants with me.
Harriette Cole: How can I coach my son not to dither when questioned?
I worry about his need for constant clarification.
Miss Manners: Years later, this family’s bizarre rudeness sticks in my mind
In the middle of dinner, there was a knock at the door, and the evening...
Dear Abby: If Kate finds out I’m seeing the widow, she’ll ruin our visits
Plus: My family apparently is afraid I'll start hallucinating if I move away.
Asking Eric: Our annual guys’ weekend felt weird this year, and it wasn’t just me
I don't know how to bring it up without sounding like I'm judging my gay...
Harriette Cole: My fiance’s mother picked my wedding dress, and she didn’t stop there
The future in-laws are paying for everything but I thought I'd have some say.
Miss Manners: If I have no beige clothes, would I have to skip the funeral?
The family set a dress code "to honor Clara."
Dear Abby: I bought my dress for the wedding, and the groom’s mother copied me
She brushed off my request that she look for another one.
Asking Eric: How do we address this skirmish during the family vacation?
One daughter's partner made threats and left abruptly.
Dear Abby: Is it rude that she holds the meal for the latecomers?
We sometimes end up waiting an hour.
Asking Eric: She thinks her mother was a saint. Maybe these photos would convince her otherwise.
I found them in a storage unit and am tempted to send them to my...
Harriette Cole: My husband has let running take over his entire weekend
He refuses to reserve a day for our family.
Miss Manners: I believe the salon employees are laughing at the customers
They speak in Vietnamese and it makes me uncomfortable.
Dear Abby: I was dumbstruck by what she did in my nice car
Plus: He's keeping his illness a secret from his brother.
Asking Eric: How can I help my wife open up to me about what she wants?
Plus: I set a boundary, and my friends try to talk me out of it.
Harriette Cole: My neighbor ran over my cat and is lying about it
This boy's parents are acting like it was the cat's fault.
Miss Manners: My host didn’t want any of my belongings on view during my stay
I felt completely unwelcome.
Dear Abby: The surprise party took an unpleasant turn
I tried to hide my disappointment, and that was the last time my family celebrated...
Asking Eric: I hate Florida so much I’m ready to walk out on my marriage
But I can't subject my dog to financial instability.
Harriette Cole: I told him I love him but my timing was bad
The next morning, he asked me why I said it.
Miss Manners: The wife was in the restroom when all this went down, and now she’s bad-mouthing us
Her husband apparently wasn't honest about his role.
Dear Abby: My fiance says my twice-a-day phone calls are weird
Plus: My friend's husband won't let her use his phone, even in an emergency.
Asking Eric: I don’t accept that my brother can just opt out of our family
He asked me not to contact him. Would it be disrespectful if I reached out...
Harriette Cole: My son repeated his dad’s joke at school and got suspended
Our whole family had laughed at it so he thought it would go over well.
Miss Manners: My guests want drinks when they’ll be driving. How do I say no?
Plus: They invite me to charity events but never to their private parties.
Dear Abby: My husband’s family has ladies’ days that leave me wrung out
They push me to participate and I end up stressed and tired.
Asking Eric: They think highly of my dead sister. I want them to know the truth.
Even her children know nothing of her chicanery.
Harriette Cole: My daughter says GLP-1 won’t help me lose weight. What can I do?
Plus: The car crash scarred my face, and my husband and child treat me differently...
Miss Manners: Why do people who already have kids together expect a big wedding?
Plus: Why is it rude to ask an adult's age?
Dear Abby: My husband insists on yawning loudly
He gets annoyed when I ask him to be quieter.
Asking Eric: I’m an open-minded person, but the dating apps leave me aghast
Plus: Am I out of line in expecting more from the youngest brother?
Harriette Cole: Am I being too sensitive about my boyfriend’s pet names for me?
He brings up race more often than I anticipated.
Miss Manners: People confess things to me, and I’m tempted to be nasty
Am I a monster for not wanting to be everyone's therapist?
Dear Abby: My friends are putting on a musical without me, and I’m upset
We all met doing theater but they left me out.
Asking Eric: I haven’t heard from my father since this very offensive comment
He won't live forever, but I'm uncertain about resuming communication.
Dear Abby: I love my family, but I’m told my remarks hurt my grandchildren
Was I wrong to mention my concern about the girl's weight?
Asking Eric: The women ganged up on me and tried to force me to eat
They kept criticizing my body. I left the cookout before I started to cry.
Harriette Cole: Should I cancel my date with my child’s teacher?
I'm excited, but I'm also worried.
Miss Manners: Apparently I’m a snob because my in-laws’ cast-offs don’t delight me
They expect me to be filled with gratitude over their yard sale finds.
Dear Abby: We walked out of a family dinner because of his horrible comment
Now they say we're the ones who have to apologize.
Asking Eric: My son has cut us off. Should we change our will?
He told my sister, "I don't need his freakin' money!"
Harriette Cole: I don’t want to tell my son to dream smaller, but …
The modeling isn't working out like he wanted.
Miss Manners: If you’re wearing a mask, I don’t want you at my game night
How do I articulate my personal boundary?
Dear Abby: I have no clue as to why my grandson won’t speak to me
Until a year ago, we were a close, loving family.
Asking Eric: I don’t want my grandchildren eating sugar. Their mother won’t listen to me.
My daughter-in-law says she's "comfortable" with her decision to poison them.
Harriette Cole: I don’t know how to break the news that I was just joking with him
Now this older guy from work thinks we're going to go out.
Miss Manners: She knits on the dais, and I find it rude
Plus: Am I supposed to identify doctors by their appearance?
Dear Abby: I finally realized what my husband had done. His parents think I should stand by him.
His long lie harmed my relationship with my son.
Asking Eric: I hate everything about my personal trainer. On the other hand, I look good.
Plus: My friend has gotten so rude that people are avoiding me as well.
Harriette Cole: My pastor shamed me about not tithing, but I have a good reason
I don't want to feel guilty every time I go to church.
Miss Manners: My yard sign led to an awkward situation with my neighbor
Should I have not attended the party?
Dear Abby: Is it unreasonable of me to insist on no phones during date night?
My love language is one-on-one time but my wife won't get on board.
Asking Eric: My son has an ambitious girlfriend. Should I tell him he could do better?
She says she doesn't want to settle down and have babies.
Harriette Cole: Despite the bad behavior, I’m still curious about him
He won't own up to what he did. I should give him the boot, right?
Miss Manners: I do not think it means what you think it means
Things can go wrong when there's so much "perfect."
Dear Abby: I became Mr. Mom at great social cost. Now my wife says I have to get a real job.
I've lived up to my end of the bargain but she's making me feel like...
Asking Eric: I found the new widow’s Facebook post tacky
Plus: My daughter-in-law changed and started making me feel strangely unwelcome in their home.
Harriette Cole: I had fun watching the neighbor’s dog hightail it home
It's an expensive device but it does the job.
Miss Manners: My professor overheard me and I don’t know how to apologize
It was a whisper but apparently he has radar ears
Dear Abby: What if I’m expecting a visitor and I need to use the bathroom?
I could put a note on the door, or I could dash off upon their...
Asking Eric: All his first dates say he’s nice but there’s no spark. What can he do?
Plus: My "perfect" brother is dragging down our father's life.
Dear Abby: What can I do to help my mean, drunk son?
He admits he has an alcohol problem but won't do anything about it.
Asking Eric: 30 years later, I don’t know if my parenting decision was correct
My 12-year-old asked about the end of my marriage.
Harriette Cole: I didn’t realize he thought we were an exclusive couple
Now he's upset about what he calls my "cheating."
Miss Manners: My roommate has her own room, so why does she entertain her boyfriend in my space?
Now I suspect he's planning on taking over the third bed.
Dear Abby: My husband left me in a bad spot with our friends
I made an excuse for him, then he waltzed into the restaurant halfway through the...
Asking Eric: My husband’s school board candidacy is strange. I don’t think he even likes kids.
Plus: My father's text about the new baby was unsettling.
Harriette Cole: I didn’t get a summer vacation and now I’m worried I’ll burn out
For the second time in a month, Harriette lectures on the reality of working life.
Miss Manners: The bride sent this off-putting text. I’m tempted to ignore it.
Plus: He's a good cook but his fingernails are filthy.
Dear Abby: My husband isn’t happy that I absolve our kids from spending time with his mother
She drones on about herself or people we don't even know.
Asking Eric: Are my wife and I making people uncomfortable with our affectionate behavior?
We realized most couples we know aren't as demonstrative.
Harriette Cole: I’m sure my boss noticed I was tipsy on the job
Should I draw a line when it comes to alcohol and work?
Miss Manners: According to them, I’m sick because I live a bad life
Plus: Is it rude to leave the swizzle stick in the drink? My mom says...
Dear Abby: I’m an engineer, and it irks me when people won’t acknowledge errors
Quality insurance remains my mindset in retirement.