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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

OK to spoon out the froth from a cappuccino?

By Judith Martin and Nicholas Ivor Martin Universal Uclick

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Is it OK to spoon out the remains of the froth from a cappuccino coffee?

GENTLE READER: Foods that cling to the tableware are always a challenge, particularly as they tend to be the tastiest bits. Miss Manners has no objection to your dislodging the clinging froth, so long as no inadvertent spectators are injured.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: When friends invite me over for dinner, sometimes the meat they have lovingly prepared is served with large amounts of fat. I have always trimmed it off and set it neatly to one side as I would bones, and no one has ever said anything.

Still, I have begun to worry that this may imply a criticism of their meal. I have been unable to determine if they eat or don’t eat it.

GENTLE READER: Presumably it is easy enough to see if your hosts eat the fat on their own plates, and Miss Manners does not inquire what happens to food on your plate after it is removed from the table. If the dog is enjoying the bones, she has no objection.

You are entitled to eat – or not eat – what you wish, so long as you do not attempt to explain it. And if no one is complaining, your concern appears to be unwarranted.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My brother-in-law corrects me when I don’t say “please” to my husband. What I say is, “Will you get me some coffee?” That is asking, not demanding.

I am 62, and my brother-in-law is 60. This is crazy!

GENTLE READER: Crazy, in Miss Manners’ opinion, is eschewing polite forms with someone with whom one lives. And, for that matter, attempting to teach manners to one’s stubborn sister-in-law.

Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.