Miss Manners: Is it rude to ask foreigners about their accents?

Dear Miss Manners: I am an accent frame, especially about the accents in the UK and its current and previous colonies. I like to guess where people are once I have heard them (not necessarily for me).

To find out if I think it’s right, I have to start a conversation with them. I usually begin to ask them if I am right – but not so much. And then this usually leads to a further conversation.

Is it rude to start a conversation with a stranger asking what country do they come from? I really want to know their background, not just to find out if I think it was right.

Gentle reader: Here is an important general rule to apply to many such small plans, including yours: never guess people. Never, never.

Do not guess where they are, do not guess if they are pregnant, do not guess how old they have – do not guess. And do not take this as permission to ask directly. In any case, you should not be a look. It may be true that if you guess correctly, you can start a conversation. But even a correct assumption could assume that the person does not really belong here.

There are less intrusive ways of knowing people, but you have determined Miss Maniere to believe that friendship, or even knowledge, is not your goal; Rather, it’s your little guessing game. Please stop.

(Please send your questions to Miss Manners on her site, www.missmanners.com; at her Email, [email protected]; Or by postcard to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)