Advice on paying for friends' food, tipping on a free meal and putting hands on the table.

Advice on the dinner guest who wants to know what you're serving, how to make up for a friend's stingy tip, and more.

What to do when your food needs salt, how to tell guests not to abuse your dining-room chairs and when to give a sommelier a separate tip.

Florence Fabricant gives advice on coping with speedy eaters, tipping on expensive wines and whether to wait before eating when a dinner companion's meal is delayed.

Florence Fabricant dispenses advice on the roving pepper grinder problem, the mysterious "captain's tip," and how to let invited guests at a birthday party know that they'll be splitting the tab.