"Preserving Privacy in a Two-Story Home: Miss Manners' Advice on Guest Room Acoustics"

Miss Manners advises a couple who can hear everything happening in the guest room above their bedroom to pretend they can't hear anything and use soundproofing techniques to avoid making their guests uncomfortable. In another question, Miss Manners suggests telling a persistent friend who wants to rekindle a romantic relationship that the friendship is platonic and that the person has a committed partner. She also recommends informing the current partner about the situation. Miss Manners clarifies that there is no etiquette rule dictating how long to wait before putting trash in a recently changed trash bin. She advises an office administrator who is often called "Dear" by male callers to respond by saying, "I'm sorry, do we know one another?" to discourage such familiarity. Miss Manners advises against sharing the details of a good deal when receiving compliments on clothing or accessories, as it may prolong the conversation and not be of interest to the complimenter. She suggests simply saying "thank you." Additionally, Miss Manners advises a person with high anxiety to politely decline attending their boss's daughter's wedding without offering an excuse. Lastly, Miss Manners recommends apologizing and offering logistical and financial help to replace a pair of glasses that were accidentally dropped and run over by a car.