YOU ASK / WE ANSWER / YOU DECIDE
HELEN’S ANSWER: It is better to excuse yourself and get up from the table to blow your nose. You should have Kleenex or a handkerchief for this purpose. Sometimes, if a sneeze surprises you, a Kleenex at the table is acceptable, but noseblowing is a personal matter and should be dealt with away from the table.
GUEST’S ANSWER:Yvette B. Walker, assistant dean of Student Affairs, Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Oklahoma: This question is not an unusual one, and we know that it bugs many of our readers out there. There are a few annoyances here:
•The blowing (sight and sound) during the meal
•The disposal of the used napkin with the meal
•Disrespect for the codiners and the server
Living in Oklahoma, we know that there many of us suffer from seasonal allergies. It might seem impossible to prevent blowing during the meal, but keeping in mind respect for co-diners and servers is of utmost priority here.
Dear allergy sufferer: Before dinner comes, excuse yourself to the rest room, where you can blow and wash your hands. If your nasal passages offend you during dinner and you must blow, use a disposable Kleenex (not hankie) and turn away from guests as much as possible. Put the used Kleenex into bag you have brought with you and keep it hidden. After dinner, excuse yourself to the rest room to throw away the bag and to wash your hands. This should keep everyone relatively happy. Callie Athey is 20-something, Lillie-Beth Brinkman is in her 40s, and social columnist Helen Ford Wallace is 60-plus. To ask an etiquette question, email helen.wallace@cox.net.