DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was at an employee awards ceremony with the company president. It seemed to me the president extended his hand holding the envelope, and I reached to accept it, but he instead retracted that hand and instead offered his right hand to shake.
Which should be offered first? The award or the handshake?
GENTLE READER: Presumably the president gave you both eventually, did he not? The handshake comes first, which Miss Manners assumes the president recognized too late -- not that he was having second thoughts about the award.
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(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)
