From: "Bryce
Date: Sat, 26 Oct 2002 21:41:18 -0500
Subject: [poly-austin] Fwd: Re: [polyTX] Miss Manners
One of our dear members (that we don't see a lot of) sent this to
me. I'm forwarding it with their serial numbers rubbed off.
Can't say I approve of it, but there you go...
=====================================================
It's the 9/25/02 story. I found it at the Chicago Tribune. I'm also
posting the full text because they require registration.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/columnists/advice/chi-020925- manners,0,7941579.column?coll=chi%2Dleisureadvice%2Dcol
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Judith Martin A singular problem for the hosting couple
Published September 25, 2002
Dear Miss Manners
My husband and I have made friends this past year
with another couple in our area, and though it takes me awhile to
warm up to new people, these folks had seemed close. Then suddenly,
our-friends-the-other-couple became the-other-couple-plus-onein other
words, a threesome living together, going out to dinner with us
together, attending events with us together. Now, the details of
their private life dont interest me. What bothers me is the idea that
I may be required to welcome this stranger into the circle of my
closest friends. Compound this with the fact that we invited them to
join us and other friends during an upcoming vacation, and they have
asked to bring their new friend (their term) along. Where bedroom
arrangements are concerned, I would generally rather have it that we
all get our preference and be glad. However, am I a clod for being
uncomfortable mixing this new development with other guests, who
might not be accepting? It really is nobodys business, but darn it,
what is a right-thinking friend and host supposed to assume or
accept these days? Sorry if this is off-color and weird. You can
imagine there are very few people to ask, and who can be trusted to be
discreet? Boy oh boy, do I wish there were more discretion about.
Gentle Reader
Ah, yes, the shockingly new Menage a Trois Problem. Miss
Manners recalls her dear Grandmamma sniffing about that. ``I really
could not care less how she chooses to live her life, that lady would
declare in regard to her second-youngest sister. ``But she insists
upon bringing them both to dinner. What do you suppose that does to
my seating arrangements? From this, you will deduce that Miss Manners
grandmother was very old-fashioned, which is to say that she firmly
believed in the rightness of alternating ladies and gentlemen at the
dinner table, and this requires having an even number of them
present. We are more enlightened about that now. But not so much so
that people are required to accept triples as couples if they do not
care to do so. As your friends are at least discreet enough to refer
to the third party as a friend, you can easily say, ``Oh, Im so
sorry, Im afraid we cant add another person this time.
Dear Miss Manners
Is it ever proper to tuck ones napkin under ones chin?
Gentle Reader
Technically, no. If you are dexterous enough to secure
the napkin in such a way that it does the job of covering your chest,
you are too old to be wearing a bib. There is, of course, an
exception in cases of physical disability. However, Miss Manners does
not agree with the common opinion that eating lobster for dinner
counts as a disability.
United Feature Syndicate
You can search for more columns in our archives.
Copyright 2002, Chicago Tribune
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On Fri, 25 Oct 2002, Bryce wrote:
Anyone have a paper from the beginning to the month that features
Miss Manners? Apparently, on the 2nd (or 1st) of October she ran one
called "No Can Trois" about (I think) dealing with Poly.
Unfortunately, the only one I can find online is a link to nothing
(NYPost)
Anyone have old papers out there?
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