Dear Fred;
My hoyty-toyty insist that wearing flannel to a special occasion (or any occasion, for that matter) is a major fashion faux pas... I feel otherwise.
What's your take?
Rick from Newbury

Hoyty-toyty, for darn sure. Flannel is always in fashion. Next thing you know, he-she-it (not sure exactly what a hoyty-toyty is, since you're using it as a noun and not an adjective) will be saying suspenders are out of style. Be your own man, Rick. March to the beat of your own drum. Faux pas, shmaux pas.

Submit your own question to Fred here.

Birth of a Notion

My friend Joe B. (I won't identify him further, in case he needs to deny it later) send in the following suggestion:

"Have you ever thought of opening up an online advice column? The world would greatly benefit from your sound Yankee wisdom."

Well, Joe, I hadn't. And it remains to be seen how the world would respond. But seeing as I don't have much else to do, I may just give it a whirl.

So, if you're desperate enough to ask me for advice, I'm willing to help. Click here to drop me a line with your dilemma, question, or vexing social conundrum. I'll pick and choose the best questions--if any--along with my responses.