Q. Often at parties strangers bear down on me looking excited and are then offended when I don’t recognise them. This is because I have never actually met them – they have just seen me on television and made the mistake of thinking we know each other. To say ‘I think you’re confused because you’ve seen me on television’ sounds patronising so I don’t. I then see their faces fall as I don’t ask the right questions and we go up conversational cul de sacs. Advice?
– Name and address withheld
A. Put them right gently by looking excited yourself and saying: ‘We’ve seen each other on television haven’t we?’ As they reply, ‘Well I’m not on television but you are…’, their mistake will dawn on them.
Q. Is it rude to leave a small (60 people) drinks party without saying goodbye to the host? The other night I had to leave one after only an hour to catch a non-negotiable train.
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