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 MartinWashington knows that it is not safe to kick people who are down until you find out what their next stop will be.
Judith MartinWhen you consider how epidemic boredom is in our time, you have to concede that entertaining is a healing art.
Judith MartinPeople say when you're in love, you don't need etiquette. Well, you need it then more than anything. Or they say, "At home I can just be myself." What they mean is they can be their worst selves... They always mean they will save all their anxiety about how to behave for somebody like the head waiter of a restaurant, someone they'll never see again.
Judith Martin