Questions tagged [etiquette]
Etiquette is a set of rules or customs that control accepted behaviour in particular social groups or social situations.
13
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4answers
1k views
Friendly Cuddling, in a non-romantic way
Might be a weird questions, but I'm really confused. A good female friend of mine (I'm male) recently suggested we should cuddle, after we talked about how both of us feel rather lonely at the moment. ...
5
votes
5answers
851 views
When should one do “la bise” in France?
As a French woman with ASD, I often find myself struggling to know if I should do "la bise" (cheek-kiss) in greeting.
In general, I don't like to do "la bise" for various reasons--one of them being ...
8
votes
2answers
1k views
I have suggested my friend's toddler has down syndrome. How can I explain myself or apologies to her?
Background
We were at a party for a mutual friend and as we were standing in a circle, talking to each other, she started talking about her kids' field trip. I was semi listening, semi listening to ...
0
votes
1answer
232 views
Replying to people in social media without sounding insulting [closed]
Background
I am watching professional wrestling. In the show I am watching, the commentary team is doing a good job, but lacking in one very important area. This particular area is not something that ...
29
votes
3answers
6k views
Etiquette regarding borrowing of power tools
Based on television shows, it seems borrowing tools from neighbors is a potential minefield. I need to power wash my front and back porches and the siding of my house. My neighbor has a power washer ...
8
votes
3answers
627 views
How do I greet someone when bowing is a common greeting among the people without being disrespectful?
Muslims are only allowed to bow and prostrate to God because we consider such things acts of worship, and Islam is a very monotheistic religion.
This is a problem in Japan, where bowing is considered ...
5
votes
3answers
672 views
How should I apologise for making someone feel bad for something that wasn't their fault? [closed]
I recently met a girl on a night out when we were both quite drunk, and, having liked her I began texting her every now and then. After a few days, we decided to go out for some coffee.
Now, when we ...
24
votes
1answer
6k views
What is the etiquette for smalltalk in a workplace when the context and person is always the same?
Every single day at 3:45 PM Bob rings the doorbell at work. Every single day I answer the door and hand Bob a small amount of paperwork. Every single day there is about 10 seconds as Bob flips through ...
3
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0answers
139 views
How to Ask a Muslim if He Adheres to strict Halal tradition [duplicate]
I would like to invite a Muslim friend and his family over for dinner and want to know how to casually inquire if they are strict Halal when it comes to food so that we can make the appropriate ...
39
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10answers
7k views
What is the etiquette for asking whether someone has a special diet
Is there an etiquette for asking if there are certain things a person does not want or cannot eat? If I cook for a group of people, is it on them to tell me about it, or do I ask them? If it's on me ...
8
votes
1answer
762 views
How do I let someone from a different culture know that they are doing something rude?
I'm a client paying for my take-out at a small authentic restaurant and quite pregnant. The female asian clerk is laying it on thick with:
"Are you sure there is just one in there?
= Yup! Just ...
13
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7answers
2k views
Accidental queue jumpers refuse to believe their mistake
I was queuing at a café when two older men cut the queue ahead of me. I believe it was a genuine mistake - the room was cramped with people, and a space appeared when a woman missed that the queue was ...
4
votes
3answers
593 views
Is there a way to ask a person to not ask so many questions without coming across as rude?
My aunt asks a lot of questions, some of which come across as invasive or non-constructive. One example is we were planning to meet at a mutual family members house and she kept asking me questions ...
14
votes
3answers
2k views
How do I persuade my wife to put lids on things in the kitchen?
You know when you're sitting in a restaurant and you go to shake some salt on your food, but someone unscrewed the lid, so all the salt pours onto your food? This is my life.
My wife almost never ...
3
votes
2answers
579 views
Do I need to tip in a restaurant that has both a waiter and a cashier?
Restaurant setup:
In Canada, meals under $10 a person. Usually smallish Asian, Pizza or Fish and Chips type of restaurants.
Sit down, grab your own menu from the table.
Waiter shows up to take the ...
20
votes
2answers
4k views
Is it OK to engage in strangers' conversation during a break in a lecture?
I was recently on an public meeting with 2 famous journalists. As it's usual, firstly there was an organized discussion lead by the host, after which there was a space for questions from the audience. ...
11
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2answers
1k views
How can I prevent people from touching my laptop screen with their finger?
Because of my work, I often bring my laptop with me to show stuff to other people. The problem is that a lot of people end up touching my screen to point to things on it. One developer I worked with ...
23
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5answers
9k views
Etiquette when riding a taxi in Germany?
So I just recently rode a taxi again in Germany and I was wondering about the proper etiquette if there is one. I rode a total of like 3 taxi in my life and I never was sure on how to behave (I always ...
0
votes
1answer
194 views
Giving a lot of money to someone as a donation [closed]
Is it bad etiquette to give someone about $2000 dollars just as a donation to help someone after one lost his or her job or crashed his or her car?
Maybe the receiver thinks that you think they can't ...
1
vote
2answers
394 views
Dining etiquette [closed]
When someone else is giving me a treat, I’d prefer to keep quiet if the food is not delectable, as complaining might sour the atmosphere, or hurt his or her feelings.
So how should one respond if ...
1
vote
3answers
240 views
Asking dad to be more flexibile with his timing or to communicate it better [closed]
I find a lot of stress takes place regarding the logistics behind meeting with my dad. A typical example just happened:
I was just stepping out the door and I check my phone and see a message from my ...
118
votes
16answers
23k views
Is it acceptable to violate table manners in public due to my disability?
I have a tremor, which varies in intensity. I recently ordered a sandwich at a restaurant, which was pretty easy to eat, but I gave up trying to eat the salad, because I was unable to do so with a ...
91
votes
11answers
28k views
Complimenting a female co-worker without coming across as flirting?
I am asking this question for a friend. My friend is straight, male, and married to a woman and loyal to his wife. He is a somewhat socially awkward person.
He works in an office of software ...
22
votes
2answers
5k views
Offering free food to random people as a kind gesture, without being condescending or strange
I recently watched a YouTube video of a person who was handing out free food to random people - donuts, iced coffees, etc. - and so, inspired by this, I bought an ice cream bar last night for a ...
30
votes
13answers
13k views
Is adding “let me know if anything is unclear” to an e-mail really necessary or is it redundant?
(Note that I originally asked this question on the English Language Stack Exchange and was told that it belonged here (Interpersonal Stack Exchange), so I removed it from the EL SE and manually moved ...
2
votes
1answer
220 views
How do I tactfully ask for my hotel room to be cleaned more thoroughly? [closed]
I am doing some temporary work for a few months and the company is paying for my housing in a nearby hotel. The room comes with typical housekeeping service to clean the sheets, bathroom, etc. I have ...
3
votes
3answers
767 views
How do I respond to someone saying “thanks for waiting” after a long wait I wasn't okay with? [closed]
Recently, I was in a line at the supermarket where the person ahead of me took nearly 10 minutes to resolve a payment issue with their order (usually, payment takes 30 seconds to a minute). When that ...
3
votes
0answers
453 views
What is the etiquette about how/when to Stop Conversation with other matches when dating online? [closed]
I don't believe this question or an answer is specific to OKCupid, but that's the particular platform I have been using in case there are any answers/advice that is specific to that site.
In OKCupid ...
0
votes
1answer
396 views
On a date, if I give a woman flowers, what does she do with them? [closed]
On a date, I'd like to give a woman flowers as a little present. What's the best thing for her to do with them? I mean, if I imagine to be a woman getting flowers, I'd feel real bad throwing them away ...
7
votes
2answers
337 views
What are some good strategies for interrupting coworkers with more important information?
I work in a facility with a large manufacturing plant and a large number of engineers, lab techs, and manufacturing personnel. Because of the nature of the equipment we produce and the documentation ...
1
vote
4answers
686 views
How to keep passengers off the phone
I am often the driver for friends and family whenever we travel, whether short or long distances. This is mostly due to the fact that I have the best track record, reflexes, judgement, etc. on the ...
-2
votes
1answer
443 views
Why do people cross their arms when I talk? [closed]
About 25% of the time I have a conversation with people, they begin to cross their arms or legs halfway through. I know that arm crossing can be a sign of defensiveness (or they're just cold), but ...
8
votes
0answers
550 views
Duties of a “Plus One” [closed]
A long time platonic friend is going to a wedding in a few weeks and has invited me as her plus one. She is buying the wedding gift and saying it is from both of us. I'll be transporting her to and ...
3
votes
1answer
310 views
How to appreciate someone who is showing interest towards me? [closed]
I like a person on linkedin. He is a information security veteran and very knowledgable and famous person. When I reach out to him, he was very eager and generous towards me. I wish I could say him ...
2
votes
3answers
259 views
Appropriate wait time before re-sending RSVP request? [closed]
My teenage son has sent out an e-vite (online invitation service) for his birthday party at a one of those bowling/laser tag/multi-activity places. He’s extremely excited about the event, but ...
3
votes
1answer
384 views
Grocery store line etiquette [closed]
Consider the following situation at the grocery store, on a normal day (i.e., not including out-of-the-ordinary cases like Black Friday) in a medium to large town (i.e., where almost no one will know ...
9
votes
4answers
791 views
Does the way that someone signs an email change how I should address them?
Imagine you write an email to a professor (or, to avoid academic specifics, councillor) Joseph Doe whom you never met personally before:
Dear Professor (Councillor) Doe,
blah-blah-blah
...
3
votes
2answers
1k views
What's the proper etiquette to be relocated from table at a restaurant?
Context
I was at a restaurant yesterday and one person on the table next to us was so loud that they sounded as if sat right at our own table, an annoying companion you could say.
Regularly, loud ...
23
votes
4answers
5k views
Etiquette for a person who has already queued once
I was at the front of a queue of 5 or 6 people waiting for train tickets, at a station in London, England. It was a similar length when I joined, and had taken about 10 minutes to reach the front.
A ...
66
votes
13answers
22k views
How can I decline someone's business card with tact?
I am an engineer in a technical field, but I work regularly with sales, and I am often given business cards by vendors or customers at work. I know that I will never use them, and I almost always ...
4
votes
2answers
744 views
What is the proper etiquette for making ones presence known non-verbally?
Years of dedicated martial arts training has resulted in a condition where my footfalls are nearly silent. This has led to some IPS problems. Specifically:
People often jump when I "appear" in the ...
1
vote
1answer
121 views
Declining helping with a (personal) project [duplicate]
I'm into web development and due to my work situation I had a lot of free time on my hands. I had been helping people with their personal projects on a volunteer basis.
I recently got a full time job ...
0
votes
1answer
136 views
What kind of birthday gift is appropriate for a recent friend? [closed]
A friend of mine has a birthday coming up and I want to give them a gift. Given my history of poor gift giving, I am trying to put more thought into this. However, we've only recently started talking (...
8
votes
3answers
746 views
How to suggest to friend that he should clean up after himself in another's home
In our group of friends, "Mike" always hosts game nights, study sessions, etc. The rest of us never can return the favor since we don't have enough space and privacy. I feel it's the least I can do to ...
5
votes
5answers
1k views
Responding to inappropriate personal questions at an interview?
I am an American living in Germany and had an interview with a manager of a company yesterday. At one point, the interviewer asked me about why I chose to come to Germany. I explained the reason, and ...
4
votes
3answers
426 views
How to say hello without asking “how are you going?”
I try to say what I mean, and mean what I say.
Sometimes I just want to say "Hi" or "Hello" without asking the person how they are going. I like to ask how they are or how they are going only when I ...
26
votes
5answers
10k views
How do I respond to someone apologizing for coughing/yawning?
Many times I'll be talking to someone and they'll yawn or cough (or something similar), then say "excuse me", or "sorry". I have no idea what type of response to give to this.
If they'd sneezed, ...
2
votes
2answers
659 views
Was it inappropriate for me to wear a qipao as a formal dress? [closed]
I wore a qipao to a holiday party earlier this year. I am an American with Vietnamese parents (They were born in Vietnam, escaped to America during the Vietnam War, and I was born in America) I do not ...
3
votes
2answers
427 views
How do I correct the grammar of another person if they claim to be speaking my language for practice?
I have a friend, let's call him Bob.
I met Bob many years ago back when I was working in another country.
We keep in touch over Facebook, occasionally we can have a small conversation.
Bob wants to ...
39
votes
7answers
9k views
Is there a Russian etiquette on declining offers of food when visiting someone?
I'm 15 years old, living in Israel. Occasionally, I visit senior citizens on their birthdays - bringing balloons and stuff, with a few other people.
These people who we visit are usually older ...
