Drawing upon her rich experience of life, Prudence (Prudie to her friends) responds to questions about manners, personal relations, politics, and other subjects. Please send your questions for publication to prudence@slate.com. Queries should not exceed 200 words in length. Please indicate how you wish your letter to be signed, preferably including your location.

Dear Prudence,

The confluence of the Slate toothpaste articleand a recent event has inspired me to write. I have lived outside the United States for quite some time now and am not at all up on current U.S. manners. Recently, a visiting U.S. State Department official flossed at the table after dinner in a restaurant. Is this now accepted hygienic behavior in the States, or is it as undiplomatic as it looked to me?

--Not a Diplomat Overseas

Dear Not A,

You will be relieved to know that quality people in the United States have kept flossing a private ritual. Prudie would not even do it in front of The Beloved, let alone at a restaurant table. (Prudie even retires to the ladies' room to use her gold toothpick.)

It is a safe bet that your State Department friend is in no danger of being given an ambassadorship. Your take on his behavior was correct: It was gauche. Prudie does have one slight bit of curiosity about the faux pas. Did he whip out the little white plastic thing that holds the floss, or was he using one of those ready-to-go saw instruments that look like a cello bow for a doll house?

--Prudie, flossily

Dear Prudie,

I feel like a fool. A group of guys went out for a drink after work, and sitting at the bar was a real stunner: a 6 foot blonde with a fabulous face and figure to match. I struck up a conversation with her and was greatly annoyed when one of my friends insisted I interrupt the conversation to go have a word with him.