GENTLE READER: It was to avoid the knives being used to attack fellow diners -- or at least to lessen that possibility.

Gifts, to me, are not a chore and not an obligation. If I get a thank-you card, it is nice, but I do not see any obligation ...

To explain further, let me tell you how I give gifts. I have a large family that is pretty far-flung. Some years I’m in touch ...

GENTLE READER: It was to avoid the knives being used to attack fellow diners -- or at least to lessen that possibility.

If I get a thank-you card, it is nice, but I do not see any obligation on their part to send me one. I got my reward already.

Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, [email protected]; or ...

With a written note, certainly a parent must stamp and address it, and perhaps hover over the child to inspire them to write.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Why is it that people see it as mandatory to send a thank-you for a gift? It seems like people give gifts ...

DEAR MISS MANNERS: When I meet new people and tell them where I earned my bachelor’s degree and what my plans for the future ...

With a written note, certainly a parent must stamp and address it, and perhaps hover over the child to inspire them to write.

What she has apparently not taught is that it is not enough to send a mere receipt, such as a rote text, which is probably ...

In today's Miss Manners column, advice columnist Judith Martin responds to if digital gratitude teaches the right lessons ...