An unexpected rainstorm. A traffic jam on your morning commute. Realizing you forget to put on deodorant. There are many things that can turn your day from good to bad. But there is one thing you’re ...

Each week in the Tuesday column, Prudence asks readers for their thoughts on a question that has her stumped. She’ll post her final thoughts on the matter on Fridays. I am the Gen X child (46M) of ...

A few months ago, I was in Korea visiting family. During my stay, I spent some time with a cousin who’s in her mid-40s. As we were catching up, she recounted a story about how someone called her an ...

The other day, I stood in line at the grocery store to buy some stamps. When it was my turn, the cashier and I made friendly small talk about the blisteringly hot weather as I paid for the book of ...

This past week CNN ran a feature story about how some women across America apparently view being called “ma’am” in a negative light, feeling that use of the word toward them somehow carries a ...

Imagine you are addressing someone as “Miss.” About how old is the person? How old is the person you are addressing as “Mister?" “Ma’am?" “Sir?" Did you imagine a young woman for “Miss?" Older woman ...

Two weeks ago, I came across a thought-provoking article posted on CNN.com by Janelle Davis titled “How ‘ma’am’ went from being a respectful word for some — but polarizing for others.” Davis, a senior ...

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I came across this statement on a social media page: “I hate being called ‘ma’am.’ Some people think it is respectful, but it is NOT; it is ignorance speaking. I know they don’t ...