Mannerific

We received this manners question today:

I just read in Emily Post that if a female invitee doesn’t have a beau, than I shouldn’t go “and guest” because that may possibly make her feel bad.  I had never heard of that until now…  What say you?

Dear Reader,

You are correct, but the rule applies to both female and male invitees. The thinking is that you should address everyone you’re inviting by name. This means calling to find out whether significant others exist, and finding out their names. It can be an arduous task for a long guest list, so feel free to ask for help from relatives and friends who can hunt this information down. Also, Facebook and myspace can come in handy in checking both relationship status and name spelling.