Should I offer to help wash dishes after dinner? When there is a large group of guests and you are not really close friends with the hostess, then do not offer. If the meal has included only your family and the host family in an informal atmosphere, then it is a nice gesture to suggest, […]
If I’m staying overnight, is there anything I should keep in mind? The general rule is that when the hostess of a dinner raises her fork to begin eating then it is acceptable for the guests to commence eating. If she says, “Please go ahead,†then do so with–out waiting for further urging. If there […]
Are there any topics I should avoid? It is acceptable to discuss virtually any topic––the weather, sports, news events, fashion, books, art exhibits, travel, even politics and religion––if you frame the question appropriately. “What do you think of the Democrats’ health reform plan?†is a perfectly acceptable conversational gambit. “Don’t you think the Democrats’ health […]
