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DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I are in our 50s, and he has a friend that I can’t stand. She often disguises her insults with humor and lacks basic manners.

On one occasion while visiting, she asked for wine, which she then splashed everywhere, ruining our living room walls and area rug. She didn’t even offer to replace it. This isn’t an isolated incident, just one example of her behavior.

How can I distance myself from this friendship while still allowing my husband to maintain it?

GENTLE READER: Do you have a backyard? A porch? A basement?

Miss Manners suggests that those areas might be suitable for your husband to entertain his friend, particularly if he wishes to avoid the continuous cycle of repainting and replacing rugs.