Quote

What restricts the use of the word 'lady' among the courteous is that it is intended to set a woman apart from ordinary humanity, and in the working world that is not a help, as women have discovered in many bitter ways.

Judith Martin

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Judith Martin
Age: 86
Born: 1938
Born: September 13
Economist
Journalist
Washington
District of Columbia
Way
Word
Lady
World
Working
Discovered
Help
Bitter
Woman
Apart
Use
Ordinary
Restricts
Helping
Among
Courteous
Women
Ways
Courtesy
Many
Humanity
Intended

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Washington knows that it is not safe to kick people who are down until you find out what their next stop will be.
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The stress of making small talk with in-laws is called being part of a family.
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Parents should conduct their arguments in quiet, respectful tones, but in a foreign language. You'd be surprised what an inducement that is to the education of children.
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There are three social classes in America: upper middle class, middle class, and lower middle class.
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A small wedding is not necessarily one to which very few people are invited. It is one to which the person you are addressing is not invited.
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You should resolve not to seek public approval of your private business, when you are not also prepared to accept public disapproval.
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It's far more impressive when others discover your good qualities without your help.
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If written directions alone would suffice, libraries wouldn't need to have the rest of the universities attached.
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Nowadays, you form your beliefs to fit your behavior, not the other way around.
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A wedding invitation is sent by people who have been saying, Do we have to ask them? to people whose first response is, How much do you think we have to spend on them?
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The etiquette of intimacy is very different from the etiquette of formality, but manners are not just something to show off to the outside world. If you offend the head waiter, you can always go to another restaurant. If you offend the person you live with, it's very cumbersome to switch to a different family.
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When a society abandons its ideals just because most people can't live up to them, behavior gets very ugly indeed.
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In its natural state, the child tells the literal truth because it is too naive to think of anything else. Blurting out the complete truth is considered adorable in the young, right smack up to the moment that the child says, 'Mommy, is this the fat lady you can't stand?
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Like language, a code of manners can be used with more or less skill, for laudable or for evil purposes, to express a great variety of ideas and emotions. In itself, it carries no moral value, but ignorance in use of this tool is not a sign of virtue.
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The way one was brought up isn't an excuse for rude behavior.
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We have the reverse of the Puritan work ethic in America now. No one ever becomes a star by plugging along year after year. What is needed is flair, talent, 'an eye,' contacts, charisma, and, most of all, naturalness.
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many of the guests will eventually leave the table to watch football on television, which would be a rudeness at any other occasion but is a relief at Thanksgiving and probably the only way to get those people to budge.
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The etiquette business has its emergencies, heaven knows, but it is in the nature of etiquette emergencies that once one realizes what one has done, it is too late. One might as well get a good night's sleep and send flowers with an apology in the morning.
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A young lady is a female child who has just done something dreadful.
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We are born charming fresh and spontaneous and must be civilized before we are fit to participate in society.
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