DEAR MISS MANNERS: Our household celebrates many holidays with a gaggle dinner. These relations who’ve the house take turns internet hosting.
The host supplies the primary dish and some sides, and everybody else contributes one thing to the meal. This has labored positive up till a number of years in the past.
Now my niece and her husband carry containers from dwelling to fill with leftovers, even loading their plates with greater than they might presumably eat in order that that meals may be taken dwelling, too.
This 12 months, I’m internet hosting, and plan to supply a meat-based meal. My niece and her husband are vegetarians, so they are going to solely have the ability to eat the entree I put together individually for them.
How can the hosts handle this situation sooner or later with out showing impolite or imply? The couple has greater than sufficient assets to assist themselves.
GENTLE READER: Your answer is intelligent, if a bit devious and oblique.
If you wish to be extra forthright — or in the event you tire of cooking all that meat — when the couple breaks out the containers, Miss Manners suggests you say, “Oh, we have plans for those leftovers, but please enjoy all you like while you are here.”
DEAR MISS MANNERS: Some time in the past, I went by means of a traumatic expertise in my life and was very depressed. I learn on-line a few movie star who was going by means of the identical expertise.
By way of social media channels, I started speaking with this individual. We turned fast buddies and spoke typically. I actually loved speaking with him and regarded ahead to our chats.
I then realized I used to be not talking to who I assumed I used to be, however to somebody posing as this individual — a web-based scammer.
They normally reel you in after which begin asking for cash, and certain sufficient, he requested me about contributing to his private charity. I advised him I wasn’t , and that was the top of it. He by no means introduced it up once more.
Now we have now been talking for a number of months. The factor is, I’ve develop into fairly drawn to him. I actually get pleasure from speaking to this individual, whom I really feel that I’ve come to know, however he nonetheless pretends to be the movie star (which I’m assuming is his job).
Ought to I simply come out and say that I do know he’s not that individual? Or ought to I cease speaking to him utterly? I might actually miss speaking to him, and I’ve developed robust emotions for him.
GENTLE READER: Far be it for Miss Manners to discourage a love match, nevertheless it appears to her that this “relationship” is something however that. Do you actually wish to begin a love affair with a lie and/or an accusation?
Should you actually can not assist your self, maybe you could possibly say, “I really enjoy talking to you, but something seems off. Is there anything you want to tell me?” But when this individual continues the farce, Miss Manners encourages you to chop it off. It could solely worsen from there.
Please ship your inquiries to Miss Manners at her web site, www.missmanners.com; to her electronic mail, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or by means of postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas Metropolis, MO 64106.
