Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior (Freshly Updated)

Judith Martin

W. W. Norton & Company, Apr 17, 2005 - Cooking - 864 pages

An indispensable manual to navigating life from birth to death without making a false move.

Your neighbor denounces cellular telephones as instruments of the devil. Your niece swears that no one expects thank-you letters anymore. Your father-in-law insists that married women have to take their husbands' names. Your guests plead that asking them to commit themselves to attending your party ruins the spontaneity. Who is right? Miss Manners, of course. With all those amateurs issuing unauthorized etiquette pronouncements, aren't you glad that there is a gold standard to consult about what has really changed and what has not?

The freshly updated version of the classic bestseller includes the latest letters, essays, and illustrations, along with the laugh-out-loud wisdom of Miss Manners as she meets the new millennium of American misbehavior head-on. This wickedly witty guide rules on the challenges brought about by our ever-evolving society, once again proving that etiquette, far from being an optional extra, is the essential currency of a civilized world.

Contents

• Some Thoughts on the Impulse Rude and the Mannerly Way of Life: 21
• On Manners ans Morals: 31
• Birth: 35
• Prebirth Manner for Parents and Others: 37
• Showers: 44
• Announcements: 47
• Names: 52
• Baptism and Circumcissions: 58
• Social Life Begins: 61
• Social Life Resumes: 67
• Basic Civilazation: 71
• Concerning Children: 73
• Manners for Children: 80
• Childrens Social Events: 89
• Common Courtesy for All Ages: 96
• Handshakes Kisses and Other Introductory Gestures: 109
• Silence as a Social Skills: 115
• Common Annoyance: 118
• Relations between the Genders: 127
• The Virtuous Life in Wicked Cities: 137
• Transportation: 147
• Table Manners: 154
• Methods: 162
• Family Dinner: 172
• Manners for Particular and Ornery Foods: 179
• Social Intercourse: 204
• Conversing Rather than Communicating: 213
• Conversational Hazards: 230
• Electronic Communication Personal: 234
• The Domestic Telephone: 236
• The Itenerant Telephone: 242
• The Internet: 246
• Family Relations: 251
• Family Crises: 258
• Visiting: 268
• Houseguest: 274
• HouseSitting: 282
• Unpleasant Facts of Life: 284
• Messy Emotions and Minor Emotional Distress: 290
• Disgusting Habits: 293
• Citizen Participation: 298
• Rites De Passage: 303
• Bar and Bat Mitzvahs Communications and Confirmations: 305
• Graduations and Reunions: 309
• Debuts and Dances: 317
• Courtship: 325
• Love Problem: 344
• Breaking Up: 350
• Marriage For Beginners: 355
• Engagements: 357
• Families and Friends: 371
• The Brides Family: 373
• The Bridegrooms Family: 377
• New Family Nomenclature: 379
• The Attendants: 381
• Weddings: 385
• Invitations and Responses: 390
• Announcements: 404
• Wedding Clothes: 408
• Wedding Procedure: 416
• Wedding Receptions: 423
• Photographs: 428
• Wedding Presents and Of Course ThankYou Letters: 431
• The Trousseau: 444
• China: 448
• Glass: 449
• Linens: 451
• The WellAppointed House: 454
• Work: 457
• Interviews Recommendations and Raises: 459
• Workplace Etiquette: 467
• Neither Businesslike nor Entertaining: 477
• Business Communications: 482
• Telephones: 484
• Email: 487
• Notebooks and Laptops: 488
• Customer Service: 490
• When Things Go Wrong: 498
• Common Complaints: 501
• The Job Ends: 505
• Intermediate Civilazation: 511
• Social Forms Some Stunning and Others Ghastly: 513
• Invitation and Replies: 528
• Responding: 536
• The Social Unit: 541
• Breaking Social Engagements: 545
• Social Procedure: 546
• Social Disasters: 556
• Apologies: 562
• Dinner Parties: 566
• The Guest List: 569
• At Table: 571
• Adding the Guests: 576
• The Menu: 581
• Correct Service: 584
• Social Correspondence: 591
• The Content: 604
• Greeting Cards and Christmas Letters: 609
• Presents: 614
• Decent Dress For Ladies and Gentlemen: 622
• Dressing for the Occation: 625
• Controversial Clothing: 631
• Confusing Clothing: 635
• Childrens Dress: 641
• Jewelry and Other Adornments: 642
• Ever After: 649
• Divorce: 651
• Announcements and Demeanor: 653
• The Children: 663
• Marriage For Beginners: 669
• Anniversaries: 677
• Advance Civilaization: 685
• Protocol: 687
• The White House: 699
• The Large Household: 708
• Celebrity and Publicity: 713
• Play: 724
• Sports: 732
• Clubs: 741
• Alcohol Tobacco and Other Stimulants: 743
• Restaurants: 750
• Travel: 764
• Vacation Trips: 776
• Holidays: 780
• Death: 797
• Funerals: 802
• Bereavement: 806
• Condolences: 811
• Answer To Questions Nobody Asked: 823
• Acknowledgments: 827
• Index: 829

About the author

Judith Martin, born a perfect lady in an imperfect society, is the author of the “Miss Manners” columns and best-selling books, two novels, and a travel book on Venice. She and her husband live in Washington, DC.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior (Freshly Updated)
• Author: Judith Martin
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, 2005
• ISBN: 0393058743, 9780393058741
• Length: 864 pages
• Subjects: Cooking / Entertaining; Reference / Etiquette; Reference / General; Reference / Personal & Practical Guides; Reference / Questions & Answers