Judith Martin

“Making Others Feel Comfortable. Miss”

— Judith Martin

What is Thanksgiving without a nutty relative?

— Judith Martin

Generosity and gratitude are inseparably linked.

— Judith Martin

Everybody's an art critic.

— Judith Martin

I try to behave myself, and I succeed.

— Judith Martin

Ideological differences are no excuse for rudeness.

— Judith Martin

Try not to annoy your relatives unnecessarily.

— Judith Martin

If you can't be kind, at least be vague.

— Judith Martin

“Miss Manners hereby absolves everyone from feeling any embarrassment deliberately imposed by others.”

— Judith Martin

Why bring children into a world where no one writes letters?

— Judith Martin

There are always proper responses, even to rude questions.

— Judith Martin

When you're in love, you put up with things that, when you're out of love you cite.

— Judith Martin

“you must take inedibles out the way you put them in.”

— Judith Martin

There is nothing like a good friend to help you out when you are not in trouble.

— Judith Martin

Nowadays, you form your beliefs to fit your behavior, not the other way around.

— Judith Martin

If it's against state law, it's generally considered a breach of Etiquette.

— Judith Martin

When politeness is used to show up other people, it is reclassified as rudeness. Thus it is technically impossible to be too…

— Judith Martin

When people start hurling insults at you, you know their minds are closed and there's no point in debating. You disengage yourself…

— Judith Martin

We already know that anonymous letters are despicable. In etiquette, as well as in law, hiring a hit man to do the…

— Judith Martin

the obligation to express gratitude deepens with procrastination. The longer you wait, the more effusive must be the thanks.

— Judith Martin

People read informality as, 'Do whatever you feel like,' and whatever you feel like might be disastrous.

— Judith Martin

For email, the old postcard rule applies. Nobody else is supposed to read your postcards, but you'd be a fool if you…

— Judith Martin

“But sometimes one hears an Etiquette-Buster’s confession that rings true: “You make me feel guilty.” I’m not going to bother, this argument…

— Judith Martin

People who put slipcovers, doilies, plastic protectors, and cellophane on everything good that they own rarely live to see an occasion so…

— Judith Martin

It is a widespread and firm belief among guests that their departure is always a matter of distress to their hosts, and…

— Judith Martin

Nowadays, we never allow ourselves the convenience of being temporarily unavailable, even to strangers. With telephone and beeper, people subject themselves to…

— Judith Martin

'Honesty' in social life is often used as a cover for rudeness. But there is quite a difference between being candid in…

— Judith Martin

One should not be assigned one's identity in society by the job slot one happens to fill. If we truly believe in…

— Judith Martin

“new method of taxing people with their faults has not only retained but magnified its own faults. It tells only one side…

— Judith Martin

Should you happen to notice that another person is extremely tall or overweight, eats too much or declines convivial drinks, has red…

— Judith Martin

It is wrong to wear diamonds before luncheon, except on one’s marriage rings. Before, after, and during breakfast, luncheon and dinner, it…

— Judith Martin

In its natural state, the child tells the literal truth because it is too naive to think of anything else. Blurting out…

— Judith Martin

There are three possible parts to a date, of which at least two must be offered: entertainment, food, and affection. It is…

— Judith Martin

“Then there was the time that Mrs. Grover Cleveland attempted to engage a tongue-tied guest in conversation by seizing on the nearest…

— Judith Martin

“One of the major mistakes people make is that they think manners are only the expression of happy ideas. There’s a whole…

— Judith Martin

“DEAR MISS MANNERS: Should you tell your mother something if it is important when she is talking to company? I am six.…

— Judith Martin

“Miss Manners’ mother always told her to travel either first or third class, but never second, when crossing. (Not crossing class lines,…

— Judith Martin

“DEAR MISS MANNERS: I a tired of being treated like a child. My father says it's because I am a child--I am…

— Judith Martin

“Relax!” “Don’t go to so much trouble!” “Why don’t you use plastic glasses?” “Take off your jacket!” “Why don’t you use paper…

— Judith Martin

You can deny all you want that there is etiquette, and a lot of people do in everyday life. But if you…

— Judith Martin