Friends from out of town contacted us to say they’d like to make a daylong visit. We said that sounded great. I suggested lunch in a nearby seaside town. I warned them that the restaurants can be pricey, so I said we could also grab something less expensive and wander the boardwalk. They said the restaurant sounded good. After lunch, though, when the bill came, they didn’t offer to pay their share. I mumbled something about splitting the bill, and then I paid. I think sticking us with the bill was rude. Your thoughts? —DINER
You mumbled? When I have no intention of paying for my friends’ meals, I say, “Shall we split it?”—as clear as a bell, the moment the waiter places the check on the table. It never fails. It also saves the tedium of grousing about friends because of misunderstandings over lunch bills. Try it!
—Adapted from “Social Q’s” in The New York Times Magazine