Man takes umbrage at women who are stingy with thanks

Dear Abby: I am a male reader with a complaint. Have you noticed that women hardly ever compliment men? On ANYTHING! They expect men to compliment them but never reciprocate.

If you move furniture, take them out for a nice dinner, buy tickets to their favorite show, buy them a gift, they don’t have enough manners or couth to say thank you. Getting a compliment is like pulling teeth from a great white shark while he’s feeding.

Don’t women ever think, “Maybe I should say something to HIM instead of expecting him to say it to me”? Where do they learn this behavior? Are they taught this growing up? Or do they just not care or even realize? — Shaking My Head in New Jersey

Dear Shaking: My late mother once commented to me that people with “class” never use that word. In this case, I will make an exception and tell you that individuals of both sexes who have class were taught from early childhood the magic words “please” and “thank you,” and to express gratitude.

I don’t know what kind of women you are involved with, but I’m suggesting it is time to upgrade the quality.

Dear Abby: I’ve been going to the same poke joint for more than five years now. Several of the employees have worked there for years. I feel at this point, I should know their names, but they don’t wear name tags, and I’m embarrassed to ask what their names are after so many years.

I like calling people by their names, but I’m a little shy and awkward and don’t know how to ask. Should I just keep our weekly (sometimes biweekly) exchanges at surface-level chitchat without worrying about what their names are? — Friendly in the West