TresSugar

Martha to Christina Hendricks: I Thought You Were Older

TresSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:00:00 -0700

Good thing Martha Stewart never went into the etiquette business! In just under four minutes, she manages to say a couple incredibly awkward things to Christina Hendricks, better known as Joan Holloway on Mad Men.

First, she tells the 34-year-old actress, "I thought you were so much older." And then, about her on-screen husband, she asks the no-doubt confused actress, "Do you love him?" We're going to give Martha the benefit of the doubt and assume she means does her character love him, in which case that ~~makes total sense~~ barely makes sense. Between raping Joan last season and being a professional failure this season, what's not to love?

Awkward! I'm on a Plane and Person Next to Me Wants to Talk

TresSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:00:00 -0700

We've all been there. You're on a plane. You have a long flight ahead of you with some choice reading material and hopefully a few movies to keep you occupied. And then it happens. The person in the adjoining seat starts giving you that vibe that they want to talk . . . and maybe talk and talk and talk. CNN.com found one such complaint on a site I can't wait to visit:
flightsfromhell.com. How would you respond to the following awkward situation?

"As soon as the guy beside me sat down in the aisle, I knew he was itching to strike up a conversation. I avoided eye contact like the plague, but he wasn't a master of social cues. I grabbed my book and made the mistake of turning my light on, an action that inspired him to break the ice. Immediately, he was completely facing me, leaning into my seat and asking me questions."

If you have some awkward tales of your own, join our Awkward! group to share etiquette questions and stories with other readers.

Source

10 Pet Peeves We Can All Agree On

TresSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Since it’s Pet Peeve Week, all of you shared the little things that get under your skin in a big way. From your submissions, I’ve rounded up 10 annoyances I think most of us would count among our pet peeves. I’m sure we’ve all been guilty of doing these from time to time, but since it’s the week to let out our frustration, let’s get to it!

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Awkward! My Roommate Kicked Me Out

TresSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0700

A friend of mine is looking for a new place after her roommate, who also happens to be her co-worker, asked her to move out. Here are the extremely awkward details:

I moved in with my co-worker, who is also a friend, about three months ago. Things had been going relatively well until this one week when she started acting cold toward me. I figured she was having a bad week, so I just gave her some space around the house and at work. Then out of the blue, she told me she wants me to move out. Technically she can tell me to leave because I'm not on a lease. Her parents own the place. She told me that she thought it was too hard to spend that much time with me, since we worked for the same company and lived together.

I'm so frustrated. I just got situated in my place. It's going to be expensive and inconvenient to move again, but I can't exactly make her let me stay. I would just suck it up and move on with my life, but even after I do that I need to face her at work!

Do you have any advice to offer my friend? (And if you have some awkward tales of your own, join our Awkward! group to share etiquette questions and stories with other readers.)

Awkward! A Co-Worker Keeps Touching Me

TresSugar — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0700

Thanks to a reader with an issue (sorry, reader!), we have an awkward scenario requiring your advice. (Have some awkward tales of your own? Join our Awkward! group to share etiquette questions and stories with other readers.)

"I have a co-worker who I like except for one extremely annoying habit of hers: when she tries to get my attention, she pats me on the head. I'm not touchy-feely to begin with, and would jump if someone tapped my shoulder, so this is really too much. Plus, it almost feels like I'm being condescended to. Don't you pat babies and puppies on the head? I want to tell her without getting too defensive that I really wish she'd stop this and just email me before she comes over, instead of patting me on the damn head! What's the best way to do this?"

Awkward! I'm Biracial and Get Asked: "What Are You?"

TresSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 06:00:00 -0700

"My father is Mexican-American and my mother is Chinese-American. Some people think I look 100 percent Chinese, others know I'm only part, but sometimes I wish people would just see me for me. I get uncomfortable when people ask me my ethnic background, and especially when they say, 'What are you?' I grew up in a small town where some racists said worse, so I appreciate positive curiosity, but is it ever polite to ask someone this question?"

Awkward! How Do I Tell My Friend We're Too Close?

TresSugar — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 07:00:00 -0700

"I think my friend and I are too close. We have been friends since we were really young and we also walk really close to each other and shove each other jokingly. It was fine when we were little but now that I'm getting older it makes me uncomfortable. If I talk to her straight on about it our friendship would become extremely uncomfortable and I'd get embarrassed around her. I don't think I'm willing to do that to our relationship."

http://www.racialicious.com/2009/06/03/new-words-for-mixed-race-people-of-colour-with-or-without-white-ancestry/

Exercise Etiquette

FitSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:00:06 -0700

I know that a lot of folks work out to let off a little steam, but sometimes I see manners, not to mention common sense, fall by the wayside on the road, trail, pool, and gym. Take this quiz to see if you know your exercise etiquette.

Flickr User richardmasoner

Take the quiz

Awkward! My Date Invited a Friend to Our Date

TresSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:00:00 -0700

Thanks to a reader with an issue (sorry, reader!), we have an awkward scenario requiring your advice. (Interested in this subject? Join our Awkward! group to share etiquette questions and stories with other readers.)

"I've had a crush on this guy for a while, and I haven't been able to tell if we're just friends, or if it's headed in a romantic direction (which is where I want it to go). We went out for drinks one night, and something seemed to have shifted. Maybe it was my imagination, but I felt like we were both really flirting with each other. I thought it was confirmed when he invited me to the movies the next weekend. So imagine my surprise when I get to the theater, and he's there with another friend - a girl! I really thought we were on a date. Now I don't know how to behave around him. Should I just chalk this up to a miscommunication and move on?"

Awkward! I Invited a Stranger to Visit

TresSugar — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:00:00 -0700

We love sharing awkward situations around here so you can all weigh in with some advice! Join our Awkward! group to share etiquette questions and stories with other readers.

Today, I want to share an uncomfortable situation my friend finds herself in:

When visiting my boyfriend's hometown, we went to his friend's party. I got to talking to another guest and he confided in me that his wife had just left him for another man. He had been with his wife since he was 18, so I started telling him that he should enjoy the things he couldn't do while he was in a relationship. He said he felt like traveling, and I said: "Oh! You should totally visit San Francisco, where I live." Fueled by a couple glasses of wine, I went on and on about how nice it is in my city, hoping to convince him that a little travel would do him well. I didn't really think I was inviting him to stay with my boyfriend and me. Well the next day he sent me a long message on Facebook asking when would be a good time for him to come stay with us in SF! He's not really a friend of my boyfriend, although they have a mutual friend, and I only met him at that one party! I have no idea if I should just be friendly and let him stay, or tell him that I'm really busy for the next few months.

What would you do?