Q. At a recent literary festival I attended a talk with a high-profile octogenarian writer. I had already bought her book, so I obediently queued with the others lining up to get it signed. When I reached the writer, she was exchanging a few polite words with me while signing her book (I know several members of her family) when suddenly we were interrupted by another woman coming in from the side, barging the queue and not even holding a copy of the book. She was clearly determined to show everyone that she knew the writer socially and didn’t seem to realise that her behaviour was vulgar and out of order. How, without being heavy-handed, might I have suggested to her that there is an etiquette for behaviour at literary festivals and that, by her actions, she was breaching it?
— E.S., Sussex
A. You might have prompted the writer to deliver the etiquette lesson herself. This you could have done by murmuring to her: ‘Bad moment? Would it be more tactful if we all (gesturing at the queue behind you) leave you alone now and let you chat with your friend?’
Q. The husband of a couple with whom we’ve been friends for years has a bad habit of embarrassing us whenever we eat out together. Between mouthfuls, with elbows resting on the table, he grabs both knife and fork to point them vertically into the air. And to resume eating, his knife often receives a deliberate lick. This seriously detracts from our choosing respectable eating venues, as the sight of it is open to all viewers. In conversation we have made oblique references to the problem, but the issue has not registered with the offender. What can you suggest?
— Name and address withheld
A.
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