DEAR MISS MANNERS: A pair of neighbors hosted my wife and me for an impromptu dinner, to which we contributed a nice salad. The food was fine, the apartment lovely. We have sent them a thank-you note.

Dear Amy: We have three sons. They are grown, successful and professional, with equally successful wives. They come to stay with us, use our cars to see their friends, eat what we prepare and never ...

Reciprocity (give-and-take exchange) is essential for successful human interactions. Feeling motivated to return a favor (and feeling owed for a favor) drives social behavior, personal interaction, ...

Dear Miss Manners: We live in a small beach community. Five years ago, we met a lovely couple who have a vacation home across the street. We are all semiretired. They are both gourmet chefs and ...

Q: When do you have to reciprocate a party invitation? I always thought that if it’s a small event in someone’s home, it’s important to reciprocate. What about a payback for having been included in a ...

On-air questions: OK, Ian: I had a lot of fun answering your questions from last week where all the answers could be spelled from the letters of the word BELATED. So, I’m going to return the favor ...

An etiquette expert weighs in. You've written your list, you've checked it twice. The holidays are officially here, and you're working to ensure that every last soul on your scroll (or named in your ...