Laura

“Charming villains have always had a decided social advantage over well-meaning people who chew with their mouths open.
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― Judith Martin

“Miss Manners fails to understand why philanthropists would turn from the needy to the greedy, but she is not in the business of laundering rudeness to make it seem acceptable.”
― Judith Martin, Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior

“But why bother with guests at all? The virtual community is larger and less trouble than the relatives and friends upon whom self-fundraisers had been drawing. The pioneers in using the Internet to ask strangers for money patterned themselves on the causes of reputable charity—such as donating toward education or helping the ill—except for designating themselves the sole beneficiaries. A breakthrough was achieved when it was discovered that asking for money for luxuries also brought results. These practices are no less vulgar for having become commonplace. There is no polite way to tell people to give you money or objects, and no polite way to entertain people at their expense. Begging is the last resort of the desperate, not a social form requiring others to help people live beyond their means.”
― Judith Martin, Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior

“The President of the United States is addressed by nickname (his or his enemies') before the election and "Mr. President" after taking office. Everybody else in Washington is styled "The Honorable" to make up for what everybody outside of Washington calls them.”
― Judith Martin, Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior