Gentleman would fall off cliff first

DEAR MISS MANNERS: During our adventure of driving up Pikes Peak in Colorado, my girlfriend and I stopped to admire the view, and she wandered up the road to take some pictures.

I joined her, and as we returned to our vehicle, there was a steep drop on one side. The other side was the road, where there wasn’t a great deal of traffic. I considered the drop-off to be the greater hazard, so I walked on that side.

Was that the correct, gallant decision?

GENTLE READER: Indeed. Just as a gallant gentleman precedes a lady down a staircase, so that if she trips she will have something soft on which to land, a gentleman should walk on the side of the cliff.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Is it OK to host an informal dinner while in bare feet? I walk around my home in bare feet all the time, but I wonder if it is proper when guests come over.

I have wondered if the boundaries of what is proper have changed about showing feet. We now have spas that do a booming business keeping our feet in beautiful condition.

It is possible to have beautiful feet and toenails, which are equally attractive. In our ever-changing society, how is current etiquette decided? It seems to this reader that the “no feet showing” rule belongs in the 19th century when all of a woman’s body had to be covered in public.

But if it is still proper that one should never wear sandals except on the beach, it will save me much money in pedicures and fine sandals. However, on 100-degree days I may moan a bit.

GENTLE READER: The propriety of total barefootedness depends on what you mean by an informal dinner. Would it be a picnic on the patio, although this is not the best idea if it is really 100 degrees out? Would the guests know that they need not change from whatever they lounge around in at home?

If it is anything slightly more structured, Miss Manners would recommend starting with shoes, and then kicking them off, as ladies in tight shoes are wont to do under the table even at the most formal dinners.