Judith Martin Quotes - Page 5

Quotes about:

• The challenge of manners is not so much to be nice to someone whose favor and/or person you covet (although more people need to be reminded of that necessity than one would suppose) as to be exposed to the bad manners of others without imitating them.

  Judith Martin

  Nice, People, Challenges

  Judith Martin (1990). “Miss Manners' Guide for the Turn-of-the-Millennium”, p.121, Simon and Schuster

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• The truly essential bargain between host and guest requires the guest only to respond promptly, show up on time, socialize with other guests, thank the host, write additional thanks and reciprocate. You needn't bring anything.

  Judith Martin

  Women, Writing, Guests

  "Miss Manners: Guests aren’t required to bring gift to the host". www.journalnow.com. February 10, 2015.

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• People will say, 'Seventy isn't old, it's middle-aged,' and I think, middle of what - 140?

  Judith Martin

  Thinking, People, Middle

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• Fairness does not consist so much of everybody's doing the same thing, but of everybody's being willing to do something that others don't want to do.

  Judith Martin

  Doe, Want, Fairness

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• The one prediction that never comes true is, 'You'll thank me for telling you this.

  Judith Martin

  Predictions, Conversation, Busybodies

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• Visiting the sick is supposed to exhibit such great virtue that there are some people determined to do it whether the sick like it or not. ... All visitors everywhere are supposed to make plans to depart if they observe their hosts visibly wilting or in pain, but this is especially true at hospitals.

  Judith Martin

  Pain, People, Sick

  Judith Martin (1996). “Miss Manners Rescues Civilization: From Sexual Harassment, Frivolous Lawsuits, Dissing, and Other Lapses in Civility”, Crown

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• One of the big no-nos in cyberspace is that you do not go into a social activity, a chat group or something like that, and start advertising or selling things. This etiquette rule is an attempt to separate one's social life, which should be pure enjoyment and relaxation, from the pressures of work.

  Judith Martin

  Selling Things, Relaxation, Groups

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• It doesn't matter whether the bride or the bridegroom writes the letters of thanks for wedding presents provided that these go out immediately after the arrival of each present and are not in the handwriting of the bride's mother.

  Judith Martin

  Mother, Writing, Letters

  Jacobina Martin, Judith Martin (2010). “Miss Manners' Guide to a Surprisingly Dignified Wedding”, p.242, W. W. Norton & Company

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• The etiquette question that troubles so many fastidious people New Year's Day is: How am I ever going to face those people again?

  Judith Martin

  New Year, Years, People

  Judith Martin (2011). “Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior (Freshly Updated)”, p.780, W. W. Norton & Company

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• Knowing that others have gone through similar tragedies may be a help, but it should be remembered that every tragedy is not only commonplace but also unique.

  Judith Martin

  Unique, Knowing, Tragedy

  Judith Martin (1996). “Miss Manners Rescues Civilization: From Sexual Harassment, Frivolous Lawsuits, Dissing, and Other Lapses in Civility”, Crown

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• The invention of the teenager was a mistake. Once you identify a period of life in which people get to stay out late but don't have to pay taxes - naturally, no one wants to live any other way.

  Judith Martin

  Inspirational, Children, Growing Up

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• Whamming someone smaller than oneself in order to teach that person civilized behavior is not within Miss Manners' concept of propriety, much less logic.

  Judith Martin

  Order, Missing, Logic

  Judith Martin (2002). “Miss Manners' Guide to Rearing Perfect Children”, p.41, Simon and Schuster

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• When someone has tried to please you, it is rude, as well as disheartening, to respond by announcing that the effort was a failure.

  Judith Martin

  Women, Effort, Rude

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• The simple idea that everyone needs a reasonable amount of challenging work in his or her life, and also a personal life, complete with noncompetitive leisure, has never really taken hold.

  Judith Martin

  Inspirational, Taken, Simple

  Judith Martin (1996). “Common courtesy: in which Miss Manners solves the problem that baffled Mr. Jefferson”

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• Precision marching is less important for the bridal party than maintaining the proper facial expresssions: The bridegroom must look awed; the bridesmaids, happy and excited; the father of the bride, proud; and the bride, demure. If the bridegroom feels doubtful, the bridesmaids, sulky, the father, worried, and the bride, blasé, nobody wants to know.

  Judith Martin

  Father, Party, Important

  Judith Martin (1999). “Miss Manners on Weddings”, Crown

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• I have always believed that the key to a happy marriage was the ability to say with a straight face, 'Why, I don't know what you're worrying about. I thought you were very funny last night and I'm sure everybody else did, too.

  Judith Martin

  Night, Keys, Worry

  Judith Martin (1996). “Common courtesy: in which Miss Manners solves the problem that baffled Mr. Jefferson”

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• What restricts the use of the word 'lady' among the courteous is that it is intended to set a woman apart from ordinary humanity, and in the working world that is not a help, as women have discovered in many bitter ways.

  Judith Martin

  Humanity, Ordinary, Use

  Judith Martin (1982). “Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior”, Scribner

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• If written directions alone would suffice, libraries wouldn't need to have the rest of the universities attached.

  Judith Martin

  Women, Library, Needs

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• The more skillful the performance of false cheer, the more pleasing the effect is upon one's public and on that private audience to whom one owes even more.

  Judith Martin

  Cheer, Deception, Audience

  Judith Martin (1982). “Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior”, Scribner

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• Chaperons, even in their days of glory, were almost never able to enforce morality; what they did was to force immorality to be discreet. This is no small contribution.

  Judith Martin

  Pregnancy, Able, Morality

  Judith Martin (1984). “Miss Manners' guide to rearing perfect children”, Viking Pr

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• A young lady is a female child who has just done something dreadful.

  Judith Martin

  Children, Parent, Female

  Judith Martin (1982). “Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior”, Scribner

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• You do not have to do everything disagreeable that you have a right to do

  Judith Martin

  Disagreeable

  Judith Martin (1996). “Miss Manners Rescues Civilization: From Sexual Harassment, Frivolous Lawsuits, Dissing, and Other Lapses in Civility”, Crown

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• The dinner table is the center for the teaching and practicing not just of table manners but of conversation, consideration, tolerance, family feeling, and just about all the other accomplishments of polite society except the minuet.

  Judith Martin

  Food, Teaching, Accomplishment

  Judith Martin (1990). “Miss Manners' Guide for the Turn-of-the-Millennium”, p.245, Simon and Schuster

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• Meanwhile, the empty forms of social behavior survive inappropriately in business situations. We all know that when a business sends its customers 'friendly reminders,' it really means business.

  Judith Martin

  Mean, Friendly, Social Behavior

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• many of the guests will eventually leave the table to watch football on television, which would be a rudeness at any other occasion but is a relief at Thanksgiving and probably the only way to get those people to budge.

  Judith Martin

  Thanksgiving, Football, People

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