A Perfectly Proper Summer Cocktail
To slake your summer thirst, and cool the poignancy of the remaining weeks in which white shoes may be worn with Perfect Propriety, Etiquetteer offers you the Etiquetteer Pink Gin: In a tall glass over...
View ArticleThe Behavior of Brides, Vol. 13, Issue 44
Etiquetteer has been fascinated with Sylvia, Queen of the Headhunters, by Philip Eade, his biography of Sylvia Brett Brooke, who married into the Brooke family, "the last white Rajahs of Sarawak."...
View ArticleLauren Bacall and Gold Lamé, Vol. 13, Issue 45
Etiquetteer was saddened to hear yesterday of the the death of Lauren Bacall, an enduring talent from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Years ago, Etiquetteer was asked about how Perfectly Proper it might...
View ArticleNational Bow Tie Day and the Seasonal Change of Wardrobe, Vol. 13, Issue 46
Astonishingly, depending on where you look, August 28 is National Bow Tie Day in the United States. So of course Etiquetteer feels it necessary to observe with Perfect Propriety: With Labor Day this...
View ArticleTradition vs. Fashion as the Seasons Change, Vol. 13, Issue 47
Labor Day 2014 has decidedly come and gone, and the Perfectly Proper now complete their workday toilettes without the summer staples of seersucker, linen, and especially for those who are sticklers of...
View ArticleBroken Gifts, Vol. 13, Issue 48
Dear Etiquetteer: A wedding gift arrived in the mail today from a seller on [Insert Name of Popular Craft Website Here], a charming vintage martini set. One of the martini glasses arrived broken. Do I...
View ArticleHow to Eat an Amuse Bouche, Vol. 13, Issue 49
Not long ago Etiquetteer was dining alone in a hotel restaurant when the waiter served an amuse bouche as a surprise. For those unaware of this rather precious course, an amuse bouche is a single,...
View ArticleTable Manners: Soup Neck, Vol. 13, Issue 50
Recently Etiquetteer had the pleasure of dining at Gurmansky Grob, in a suburb of Bratislava, Slovakia, a home restaurant renowned for its preparation of duck. And indeed, it's worth traveling to...
View ArticleA Perfectly Proper Announcement, Vol. 13, Issue 51
Etiquetteer nodded with approval over the announcement today of actor Benedict Cumberbatch's engagement to director Sophie Hunter. The traditional method of printing a notice in The Times could not be...
View ArticleYou’re Cordially Invited to Celebrate Repeal!
Etiquetteer is delighted to be hosting for the third year the Repeal Day Celebration at the Gibson House Museum in Boston, on Wednesday, December 3, from 6:30 - 8:30 PM. Sponsored by Ryan and Wood...
View ArticleTable Manners: “You just put your lips together and . . . or don’t you?” Vol....
Dear Etiquetteer: At a brunch, is it improper when out at a restaurant or such to blow on your food to cool it? Dear Brunched: Reading your query, Etiquetteer was reminded first that the reason Chinese...
View ArticleEtiquetteer’s Advice to 21st Century Brides, Vol. 13, Issue 53
Dear Etiquetteer: My beloved eldest niece - she who resembles me more than either of her parents - is getting married almost a year from now. So far she has save-the-date cards ordered, but as her...
View ArticleTable Manners: Bread and Oil, Vol. 13, Issue 54
Dear Etiquetteer: I've recently been to two restaurants where they brought out bread and put a small dish of olive oil on the table. In less posh restaurants, they put out a bottle and you can pour...
View ArticleWhat a Gentleman Does, Vol. 13, Issue 55
It takes courage to own up to a mistake, especially one that has had a negative impact on others, and very especially one that has exploded on social media to mark one a Very Bad Person. But that's...
View ArticleEtiquetteer at Random, Vol. 13, Issue 56
Inspired by an interview with Bill Nye the Science Guy, today Etiquetteer divulges a little about himself: My uniform: A crisply-pressed double-breasted suit, white shirt with French cuffs, a bright...
View ArticleUrinal Etiquette, Vol. 13, Issue 57
Dear Etiquetteer: The men's room in my office was designed with too few urinals, which means sometimes having to use a stall instead. I'd rather use a urinal than a stall, but standing around in the...
View ArticleThe Etiquette of Prohibition, Vol. 13, Issue 57
Etiquetteer delivered these remarks at the 2013 Repeal Day Celebration at the Gibson House Museum in Boston, Massachusetts. Among other things, the madness of Prohibition created a Culture of Alcohol...
View ArticleGrieving Online, Vol. 13, Issue 58
Dear Etiquetteer: Recently a friend of mine passed away unexpectedly at a young age (under 50). You can imagine people’s shock and distress and sorrow. What are the rules for posting about one’s grief...
View ArticleHoliday Gift Giving, Vol. 1, Issue 25
This was originally published on November 23, 2002. Dear Etiquetteer: My older brother is deeply in debt. I don't see him very often because he lives in another state and we've never been very close....
View ArticleWhat a Lady Wears to a Ball, Vol. 13, Issue 59
Dear Etiquetteer: I have been invited to attend the Governor's Inaugural Ball in January, a black tie event. My escort is an older widowed gentleman who is a member of the Ancient and Honorable...
View Article
