A Response to The Cut’s Etiquette Updates

If your friend publishes a book, read it

Last week, New York magazine’s digital imprint The Cut released guidance on how to “text, tip, ghost, host, and generally exist in polite society today.”¹

At first, I loved the premise. There are plenty of conventional bits of societal etiquette — do you really need to tip 20% at Chipotle? — in need of updating for a post-pandemic, working from home, always-online world.

Then I started reading.

Now, I am no high-society, manners school graduate. I would be hard pressed to identify the differences between a salad fork and a dessert fork and when at a fancy restaurant, I have to ask waitstaff how to pair wine with my meal. But I found myself recoiling in shock at the cold, unfeeling tips doled out by The Cut and I have taken it upon myself to issue a rebuttal to their most offensive suggestions. Next time you want to ghost a bad date or ask someone about their job, you’ll thank me.

Each response of mine is numbered so as to correspond with the bad rule which I am refuting. Not all The Cut’s …