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Miss Manners Quotes

Browse 18 quotes about Miss Manners.

Miss Manners Quotes

“DEAR MISS MANNERS: I a tired of being treated like a child. My father says it's because I am a child--I am twelve-and-a-half years old--but it still isn't fair. If I go into a store to buy something, nobody pays any attention to me, or if they do, it's to say, "Leave that alone," "Don't touch that," although I haven't done anything. My money is as good as anybody's, but because I am younger, they feel they can be mean to me. It happens to me at home, too. My mother's friend who comes over after dinner sometimes, who doesn't have any children of her own and doesn't know what's what, likes to say to me, "Shouldn't you be in bed by now,dear?" when she doesn't even know what my bedtime is supposed to be. Is there any way I can make these people stop? GENTLE READER: Growing up is the best revenge.”

ChildhoodMiss Manners
Author:Judith Martin
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“Miss Manners keeps urging people (to no avail whatsoever) not to make personal celebrations into office parties. These are not people who were drawn together voluntarily by mutual affection, but co-workers who are there to make their living. True, many of them may become friends and share one another's joys and sorrows, but others may find that a cordial working relationship is all they want or can manage to summon to conceal their distaste. It can become too much to expect these people to fake warmth, which is a good reason for not setting up office events that require this.”

EtiquetteWork PlaceOffice WorkerMiss MannersCo WorkersOffice PeopleJudith Miller
Author:Miss Manners
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“Shame is the proper reaction when one has purposefully violated the accepted behavior of society. Inflicting it is etiquette's response when its rules are disobeyed. The law has all kinds of nasty ways of retaliating when it is disregarded, but etiquette has only a sense of social shame to deter people from treating others in ways they know are wrong. So naturally Miss Manners wants to maintain the sense of shame. Some forms of discomfort are fully justified, and the person who feels shame ought to be dealing with removing its causes rather than seeking to relieve the symptoms.”

PeopleKnowsWayWantFeelsKindPersonsFormLawSocialCausesMissingOughtBehaviorShameResponseSeekingAcceptedReactionsAll KindsMannersNastySymptomsJustifiedDiscomfortEtiquetteDisregardedTreating OthersMiss Manners
Book:Miss Manners Rescues Civilization: From Sexual Harassment, Frivolous Lawsuits, Dissing, and Other Lapses in Civility
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“GENTLE READER: You, sir, are an anarchist, and Miss Manners is frightened to have anything to do with you. It is true that questioning the table manners of others is rude. But to overthrow the accepted conventions of society, on the flimsy grounds that you have found them silly, inefficient and discomforting, is a dangerous step toward destroying civilization.”

FoundStepsDangerousMissingReaderCivilizationTablesAcceptedSillyMannersGentleFrightenedDestroyingConventionsQuestioningRudeAnarchistTable MannersMiss Manners
Book:Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior
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“Nobody believes that the man who says, 'Look, lady, you wanted equality,' to explain why he won't give up his seat to a pregnant woman carrying three grocery bags, a briefcase, and a toddler is seized with the symbolism of idealism.”

MenGivingBelieveLooksWantedThreeGiving UpMannersSeatsBagsPregnantIdealismGroceriesSymbolismToddlerPregnant WomenBriefcasesWon't Give UpMiss Manners
Book:Common courtesy: in which Miss Manners solves the problem that baffled Mr. Jefferson
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“Nowadays, we never allow ourselves the convenience of being temporarily unavailable, even to strangers. With telephone and beeper, people subject themselves to being instantly accessible to everyone at all times, and it is the person who refuses to be on call, rather than the importunate caller, who is considered rude.”

PeoplePersonsSubjectsRefuseStrangerAll TimeMannersRudeTelephonesConvenienceImportunateMiss Manners
Book:Common courtesy: in which Miss Manners solves the problem that baffled Mr. Jefferson
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“. . . women were brought up to have only one set of manners. A woman was either a lady or she wasn't, and we all know what the latter meant. Not even momentary lapses were allowed; there is no female equivalent of the boys-will-be-boys concept.”

KnowsBoysConceptsFemaleMannersLatterMomentaryLapsesMiss Manners
Book:Common courtesy: in which Miss Manners solves the problem that baffled Mr. Jefferson
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