Ending Endless Brunches, Dealing with Double Dippers, Greeting Bus Riders, and More

Nick: Hey, everybody. It's Nick Leighton.

Leah: And it's Leah Bonnema.

Nick: And we had so many great questions from you all in the wilderness ...

Leah: [howls]

Nick: ... that we have a bonus episode. So here we go. Our first question is, quote, "Recently I was at a restaurant for brunch. We began the meal at 11 o'clock, and because one of the people there took so long to eat her meal, we didn't leave until two o'clock. This person would set their fork down and then begin with a story. I felt such resentment, but what could I say or do? This felt like rude and boorish behavior to me, as this person was seemingly oblivious to the situation. Imagine waitstaff clearing all of the dishes except hers, and now everyone else is captive. Any other time I share a meal out with friends, we order, talk, eat and then wrap things up. You might be able to tell that I'm still angry about this and that I will never share a meal with this person again. PS—This is the second time I've written to you, and it's about the same person."

Leah: I feel like if you write two letters about the same person, it's a—it's a real red flag about that person.

Nick: Right? And I did search the archives trying to find what the other letter was, and I wasn't able to find it under the same email address. So it may have come in through DMs or, like, something else. I did find other things from this writer that I just want to share because they're delightful. One was just a campaign idea for women specifically. Quote, "Women! Please stop peeing on public toilet seats. My campaign slogan is: Whatever your excuse, it's not good enough."

Leah: And that's "Women!" exclamation point. And I can't even tell you how 100 percent, 100 percent, 100 percent I am with this person. It drives me crazy.

Nick: Yeah, what's going on in there?

Leah: What—I'll tell you what's going on in there, Nick.

Nick: [laughs] Okay.

Leah: It's the squatters. And I'm sure a lot of our listeners are squatters and they're like, "I have to squat." But then if you squat, you wipe your pot.

Nick: Oh, that's a bumper sticker!

Leah: It's so—I cannot handle it. I a hundred percent agree with our letter-writer. This needs to change.

Nick: [laughs] Okay. And then this letter-writer also sent in a SaidToMyFace.com entry, which is, quote, "Many years ago, I was eating breakfast alone in a restaurant. A man walked by my table and said, 'You eat your eggs like a man.' What?"

Leah: [laughs] I don't even know what that means.

Nick: What does that mean?

Leah: What does that mean? Also, sometimes when men are talking, you're like, what—no disrespect. #NotAllMen. But always men. Except for peeing in women's restrooms, then it's women. But sometimes when guys, like, walk up to you and say stuff, you're like, "Why are you talking? Stop!"

Nick: Yeah, I don't know what eating eggs like a man is.

Leah: I think I've brought this up before, but my friend Megan and I were co-headlining a show out of town, and we stopped at a restaurant for—we were getting nachos. Multiple men walked up to us to comment on, "A lot of nachos for women. Seems like that's too many nachos for girls." I mean, it was like, why are you speaking?

Nick: Well, Leah, there's an appropriate amount of nachos for women.

Leah: You're eating an amount of nachos that are for men. That's men's nachos.

Nick: Yeah.

Leah: Also like these eggs over here. These are—that's how men do eggs.

Nick: [laughs] Right. So our letter-writer is wanting to know what do we do about somebody who—three hours! This brunch lasted three hours, because this person was so slow. I mean, that's wild!

Leah: Well, and also you can see the waitstaff has cleared everybody.

Nick: Yeah. Yeah.

Leah: They're just sitting there with their plate.

Nick: I mean, once we get to the two-hour mark, I mean, come on.

Leah: And they're still talking.

Nick: Yeah. So the etiquette rule would be like, you're really not supposed to rush someone. Like, you're really not supposed to do that. And all you're really allowed to do is just, like, never dine with them again. But I feel like that rule, I think we gotta revisit that rule in this circumstance.

Leah: Yeah, this person has gone past that rule.

Nick: Like, we cannot live in a world in which I am held hostage in a restaurant for three hours because you cannot stop talking and won't finish your meal. Like, we cannot let etiquette make me sit there.

Leah: No, that's—this is way past. I think that rule is for, like, people that are within the bounds of normalcy.

Nick: Right. And this is abnormal.

Leah: This is—this is too much.

Nick: This is too much.

Leah: You're literally being held hostage.

Nick: This is a hostage situation. Yes. You are an etiquette hostage.

Leah: And I think you could say, "I'm so sorry, I didn't plan for this amount of time. I have to go."

Nick: Yeah. "I didn't know this was an overnight."

Leah: "I didn't pack my sleeping bag. I'm gonna have to head out."

Nick: Yeah. I feel like that is appropriate at some point. Like, "I'm so sorry. I wish I could stay and chat longer, but unfortunately I have other obligations."

Leah: And I think there's multiple people there, so I think we could say, "Is it all right if we get the bill so those of us who have to go can settle up?"

Nick: Oh, I like that. Use the bill as a prompt. Although I'm sure the waitstaff dropped the check at some point in the last two and a half hours.

Leah: Then I would say, "Let's do the bill."

Nick: I wonder if we did that and then they were still talking, because once the bill's paid, yeah, it's real hard to exit.

Leah: I think we could say, "I have to get back to work, my dogs."

Nick: Anywhere but here.

Leah: Anything that we obviously didn't allot this amount of time for.

Nick: I mean, one thing that I do do—and I think once you get to the three-hour mark, like, nothing is successful, but one thing I do do when I do notice somebody is a little slow is I will take the opportunity to make sure that I do all of the talking so that they are forced to not be talking, which then gives them an opportunity to use their fork.

Leah: Because what you have here is a—not just a slow eater, but a conversation hogger, because they say that this person keeps putting their fork down and telling stories.

Nick: Yeah.

Leah: So you got a—you got a double whammy.

Nick: Yeah. And I'm sure these are not great stories. Like, we're not telling amazing tales, right?

Leah: Well, obviously not if we're all watching the time go by slowly.

Nick: [laughs] Now Emily Post actually had a fun quote that I came across that talks about this. She talks about people in Newport society, Newport, Rhode Island. And she says, quote, "A late leader of Newport society who had a worldwide reputation for the brilliancy of her entertainments had an equally well-known reputation for rapidly-served dinners. 'Twenty minutes is quite long enough to sit at table ever,' is what she used to say, and what her household had to live up to. She had a footman to about every two guests, and anyone dining with her had to cling to the edge of his plate or it would be whisked away. One who looked aside or let go for a second found his plate gone. That was extreme, but even so, better than a snail-paced dinner."

Leah: [laughs]

Nick: So even in Emily's day, no one liked a slow eater.

Leah: No!

Nick: Everybody preferred to have their plate whisked away at a moment's notice if you looked the other way, rather than sit around at a table for more than 20 minutes.

Leah: Yeah, this is three hours. That's a lot of 20 minutes.

Nick: Too much. So our next question is, quote, "I think most of us can agree that double dipping into a communal dish is a horrifying practice. As a host, how can one address and hopefully correct double dipping with an identified perpetrator in a polite manner?"

Leah: I mean, once we address it, I don't know if it's—it's gonna be a little—it's making a comment.

Nick: Sure. Although, first thing though, can we all agree? Do most of us agree? We all agree, right? We're not double dipping in communal dishes.

Leah: We're not double dipping in communal dishes. I also wouldn't notice.

Nick: You wouldn't notice?

Leah: No, I'm not paying attention.

Nick: Oh. So weird! I am.

Leah: No, I would guess that you were.

Nick: Yeah. Yeah, I mean, how do you do without making a comment? I think there's a way. I think a skillful host could make this work.

Leah: No, but I mean, there'll be a moment where it's like—you know, that moment where—what I was thinking.

Nick: Okay?

Leah: What if we had little baby plates?

Nick: Sure.

Leah: And then we just scooped some onto the baby plate and then gave it to them and go, "Oh, here."

Nick: Yeah, I think a, "Oh, let me grab you a plate."

Leah: Yeah.

Nick: "So you can have as much as you want."

Leah: So you can have as much as you want, or that way you don't have to go back in.

Nick: Yeah. And I think the person that's double dipping probably doesn't realize that that is why you're doing that, because they were so oblivious to the double dipping part. I don't think that they would then clock this comment.

Leah: You think they wouldn't?

Nick: I don't think they would. If you're a double dipper, do you have this level of awareness? Would it seem weird to you if I'm like, "Oh, here's a plate, a dedicated plate for you?"

Leah: I would think that if somebody drew it to your attention, then you would realize what you had been doing.

Nick: I mean, I think if you said, "Oh, that bowl? That's yours now." And you handed it to them with their own spoon, that would probably rise to the level of, like, okay, I see. But if you're just like, "Oh, here's a little for everybody, including you."

Leah: Yeah, I think the little baby plate's the way to do it.

Nick: And okay, so you've made a little comment. Oh well, shouldn't be double dipping. That's the consequence of double dipping.

Leah: I didn't say it was bad. I'm saying—but I'm saying you're addressing it, I feel like they will have to realize what they're doing.

Nick: Yeah. But known offenders? I mean, it sounds like you kind of know who it is. So the question is: Can we cut this off at the pass?

Leah: Well, I think the question is like, if you're standing there and you notice that somebody is just talking to you and dipping and then putting it back and then dipping, and I think that's when we just get the plate.

Nick: Although you've already contaminated the communal dish. So, like, I don't want more from that communal dish anymore.

Leah: Well, maybe we scoop out the area.

Nick: Oh, we're gonna try to, like, quarantine it like an oil spill, and then do contamination cleanup?

Leah: I think it's more like instead of quarantining, it's like when people get bit by a zombie and they try to cut off that whole part of their arm.

Nick: Oh, okay.

Leah: So we're gonna get like a big spoon and we're just gonna take it out.

Nick: Okay. I don't—I mean, is that how that works for salsa? I guess how rapidly does it spread? Is that good enough? I think once you've contaminated the whole thing, I think I'm kind of done emotionally. That queso is yours.

Leah: So you are going to give them the whole bowl?

Nick: Kinda, yeah. Or I'm gonna scoop out something exclusively for you, and then I'm gonna take the bowl into the kitchen, and that's their bowl now. And then I'm gonna, like, refresh it for the rest of everybody, and then I'm gonna make sure that I'm gonna refresh your plate with the thing you already contaminated.

Leah: Well, what if you—that's all you had, though?

Nick: Then I guess nobody else is getting salsa. I mean, as a host, we do not live in a world in which, like, we allow a guest to double dip and then we just continue offering it. Do we? I don't love that. I don't want to be known as the host that allows double dippers at my party.

Leah: I don't think—nobody would think that, Nick.

Nick: Right?

Leah: Well, we've handled the situation. We've gotten the dip onto a plate and they're having that.

Nick: Right. So we have taken care of them. So really it's a question of what do we do about the hazardous waste?

Leah: So the hazardous waste, we can either if we have more, take it to the back, change it out.

Nick: Okay.

Leah: Or I guess we could blowtorch it because heat gets rid of germs.

Nick: Okay. I guess that question actually is beyond the purview of our letter-writer's question, right? It was just what to do with the double dipper.

Leah: Yeah. No, I don't know why you had to add it on, because now you made it complicated.

Nick: I made it complicated.

Leah: We dealt with it with the plate.

Nick: Yeah. So yeah, what you do with the biohazard, you know, that's up to you. But I think we do want to make sure known perpetrators are not even put in the position that they could contaminate common items. So we want to get those ramekins going right away. We want to serve those people. We want to make sure that they are taken care of and that they do not help themselves. So that would be really the solution.

Leah: [laughs] What would be so funny going into Nick's party is that you would watch him hand out ramekins to, like, every third person and you go, "What's happening here?" And you go, "They're—they have priors."

Nick: They're ramekin people now.

Leah: Prior offenses.

Nick: Yeah. I mean, one strike, you get a ramekin now. That's actually—I feel like that is a good criteria. That is a good way to regard people in our lives. Are they ramekin people? Can they be trusted with communal dishes?

Leah: Although I'm gonna be honest, I would love to be given a ramekin of queso and I could just walk around with my own. I mean, why would I not want that?

Nick: Yeah. I mean, maybe a ramekin is a privilege at some point.

Leah: I think everybody's gonna want a ramekin.

Nick: So that actually would solve the problem. Just make it an all-ramekin event for everybody and don't have communal dishes. Just eliminate the temptation.

Leah: Yeah, everything now goes into little single servings.

Nick: I mean, that's kind of adorable.

Leah: And just a lot of extra work!

Nick: Oh, details. So our next question is, quote, "We have attended our church for about two years. We've settled into a regular pew location when we attend, and another couple typically sits in front of us whom we've known for several years. A man and his daughters sit at the other end of our pew. My husband and I work in people-centric jobs, and sometimes we choose to stay home rather than attend a service. The wife from the couple in front of us has texted me a few times asking if we're all right when we miss church. I usually text back and assure her that we are fine. Recently, the man who sits at the end came to shake my hand after I had not attended for a few weeks. He mildly scolded me for playing hooky. I told him that sometimes I'm 'peopled out' from my work week, and he scoffed at my statement and told me that he didn't believe me. I looked at him directly and I said that I was being honest. How should I deal with the unnecessary inquiries? It's awkward and so judgmental."

Leah: I mean, it's rude.

Nick: Yeah, I mean, this guy? That's rude.

Leah: And there's many things going on here. First off, as a person who works publicly and gets worn out ...

Nick: Yeah.

Leah: ... people who don't, don't understand that your social battery needs to be recharged, and sometimes you just can't—you can't do it. You have to be home. You gotta regroup. You're worn out.

Nick: Yeah. No, this is a very good point. Yeah. People who don't do it don't understand the level of exhaustion that can take place.

Leah: And they're not gonna understand if they're—this person doesn't want to understand.

Nick: Right.

Leah: So I think explaining it isn't going to help.

Nick: Yeah. If you're explaining, you're losing. Yeah. Now for the text message, I actually read that as just very nice. Like, "Oh, we didn't see you. Want to make sure you're okay."

Leah: Yeah. That one I feel like it's just checking in, and thanks so much for checking in. We're okay.

Nick: Yeah. I don't—I don't read that in any kind of way. So I think in both of them, like, thank you for your concern. We're fine. And I think that's all that has to be said.

Leah: I think so, too. I mean, I wrote down other options.

Nick: Okay. Well, let's hear it. Always good to have a backup.

Leah: I wrote down, "Well, that's sort of between me and God."

Nick: Oh. I mean, true. Yeah.

Leah: I mean, is this person—God doesn't need this guy going around.

Nick: Yeah, he doesn't need to get involved.

Leah: You don't know. Maybe I was on the Zoom service.

Nick: Also possible.

Leah: It's none ya business.

Nick: Okay. Next on the list.

Leah: That's really—I wrote that three times.

Nick: [laughs] That was it? Okay. Yeah. I mean, your spiritual practice isn't anybody else's business at the end of the day. It's really not anybody else's business. And so thank you for your concern. I'm fine.

Leah: Because I do think what Nick is saying about the first person, I do think they're checking in. And I think that that's a lovely thing about church. It's a community. People want to make sure you're okay. And that's what the first person is doing. The second person is being a referee.

Nick: Yeah.

Leah: And it's nobody else's business.

Nick: It's nobody else's business. Yeah. At the end of the day, that's really what it is. So our next question is, quote, "For several years I've been receiving group texts from a number that is not in my contacts about gatherings they are hosting. Here's the most recent example. 'FYI, we are planning on hosting Mother's Day on May 10 with the usual. Please let me know if you're coming and pass the word. Looking forward to seeing everybody.' Others in the group text chime in about whether or not they're attending and what they are bringing. I have never sent a response saying I don't believe I know anyone on this text chain, and I wonder if the host or hostess has the wrong number of somebody who should be part of this event. I think perhaps I've committed an etiquette sin of omission. I've hesitated because I don't want to cause more confusion, and now it's been several years of these texts, and I think I should have responded sooner, and I am embarrassed. How should I proceed?"

Leah: I think the easiest way to do it is just block the number.

Nick: Oh, true. Yeah, that's probably the easiest, if that's possible. Sure, you could do that. But is that the most fun thing?

Leah: Well, the thing is is that you're—you don't know anybody on the list. It's obviously a mistake.

Nick: Yeah. They added your number by mistake and you just let this go for years.

Leah: But our letter-writer already said they don't want to message at this point and say, "Hey, I think I've been added when you meant to text somebody else."

Nick: Right. Although what harm would that do? Right? I mean, okay, maybe that's embarrassing but, like, so what? You don't know these people.

Leah: I think it's—I think it's absolutely fine to text the group and say, "Hey, I think I've been added to this group mistakenly. Maybe you meant to add somebody else. I don't know anybody."

Nick: Yeah, you could just say that. Boom, done. Although I was thinking, like, oh, you kind of have an opportunity to, like, have some fun. And so then I was thinking, like, "Oh, hello. I've been silently observing this group like a Victorian ghost, but I must bid you all adieu and haunt another family. Bye-bye!" Like, that could be kind of fun to get.

Leah: Would it be? I would be terrified.

Nick: Or just, like, respond, "Sounds great, I'll bring the Funyuns." And then people will be like, "Who's bringing the Funyuns?"

Leah: I don't think our letter-writer has a vibe that they want to confuse people.

Nick: I know. I was thinking that could be fun, though.

Leah: You could be like, "Hey, I think I accidentally got added to this group a while ago, but I have grown fond of you and I wanted to wish you all a happy Mother's Day."

Nick: That's kind of nice. I mean, that's a little weird too. I mean, these are all weird. Easiest is just to, like, block, but ...

Leah: Block, or I think it's fine to say, "Hey, I think I got added accidentally," so they realize, oh, is there another number I meant to add here instead?

Nick: And if you're worried, like, oh, this has been going on for so many years, who knows if the number got changed? Maybe this is a new phone for you. Like, nobody knows.

Leah: Yeah, they don't know how long it's been going on.

Nick: Right. So I do think because there is a possibility that somebody else should have been on this thread that wasn't and your number got swapped, it would be nice to give them a heads up and not just, like, block it where that never gets disclosed. So I guess I would go with that.

Leah: I would go with that as well.

Nick: Yeah. Okay, that's your answer. Although I do like the idea of bringing the Funyuns.

Leah: Funyuns we're tabling. Funyuns we're tabling.

Nick: I mean, it's not a hard no. I feel like Victorian ghost, I kind of like this. No? Okay. Or what if you just took it in a totally different direction and wrote back, "Well, after what happened last year, I can't imagine wanting to attend."

Leah: I feel like we save these for when we get spam texts and we get involved with them.

Nick: Oh, you're not supposed to reply to those.

Leah: I know, but some people do and they create whole crazy stories.

Nick: Okay. Well ...

Leah: This is just like a lovely family who's trying to plan an event.

Nick: [laughs] All right. Funyuns is a maybe, or you could just be polite and direct. "Hey, so sorry, I shouldn't be here. Bye!"

Leah: Okay.

Nick: So our next question is, quote, "I operate a transit bus in a college town. Drivers are encouraged to greet all passengers as they get on the bus and also say something as they disembark. I usually say 'good morning' or 'hello' as they get on and 'thank you' or 'have a good day' as they exit. I'd love to vary it up a little. I've tried 'howdy,' but I feel like a cowboy. 'Good afternoon' seems too much. 'How's it going?' leads to 'Good, how are you?' and then it's a whole conversation. I do have a schedule to keep. To add a wrinkle, most of the passengers are students and invariably have headphones on. Anything too complicated gets lost. Thoughts?"

Leah: I wrote some simple ones out.

Nick: Okay. And before we start, I find this question so delightful. I don't know why I find this question so delightful.

Leah: No, it's really delightful.

Nick: I just like the idea of, like, this bus driver in a college town wanting to come up with new ways to greet passengers. I just love this.

Leah: It's such a great visual, too, because I see the bus slowing down. I see the door opening.

Nick: And I'm picturing the type of bus where it's the old hand crank.

Leah: Yes, that's what I'm seeing, too. I'm also seeing a hand crank.

Nick: Of course. How else do you open a bus door, right?

Leah: How else do you open a bus door, Nick?

Nick: Okay, what do you got, Leah?

Leah: For the comings on.

Nick: Sure.

Leah: I've got a "Welcome."

Nick: "Welcome." I like it.

Leah: "Welcome." One word. Keeping it moving.

Nick: Simple.

Leah: I think this works for coming in and leaving. "Beautiful day."

Nick: "Beautiful day."

Leah: "Beautiful day!"

Nick: Okay. "Beautiful day." Does that work as an exit line?

Leah: "Have a beautiful day."

Nick: "Have a beautiful day." Sure. Okay.

Leah: Maybe you have, like, people coming and going at the same time. That's when you just throw out a beautiful day. Everybody's getting a beautiful day. Have a great one on the way out.

Nick: Have a great one. Have a good one. Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Leah: For the headphones, I thought we'd—a good nod and a smile. I mean, I think that says a lot.

Nick: I like a good nod.

Leah: I have a "Great to have you on board" as they entrance.

Nick: Hmm.

Leah: "Great to have you on board." And then that made me think of spaceships, and then so I thought of an exit you could throw out a, "Live long and prosper."

Nick: Oh, that's fun. Okay. I like that. Yeah, that's nice. I was thinking that we would play the alphabet game. Do you know about this?

Leah: Well, I think the alphabet game that I know is not one that we could play at this point. So I don't know what alphabet game you're talking about.

Nick: [laughs] Okay. So a lot of people play this game when they're hiking and they're passing people. And the idea is you try to come up with a way to greet people with every letter of the alphabet in order. So we're gonna start by saying "Ahoy." And then the next person who boards, we're gonna say "Buenos días." And then we're gonna say, "Come on in." And then "Dreary weather, isn't it?" And then "Enjoy the ride." And so you just try to come up with a greeting that starts with every letter of the alphabet as we go down as a game for yourself. And I thought that could be fun.

Leah: Good luck with X and Z.

Nick: Oh, I think we could come up with an X or a Z.

Leah: A Zed & Two Noughts. What a movie.

Nick: Could we just say, like, "Xcellent day? Xcellent day? X-ray."

Leah: Even though "Excellent" starts with an E?

Nick: Well, it has an X sound. Well, X might be problematic, but I feel like may you get that far into the alphabet.

Leah: May you get that far.

Nick: Well, that could be fun. Just, like, spice it up. You could just be known as the bus driver that, like, has wacky greetings.

Leah: I think that's fun. I don't know if our bus driver wants to add a memory game, but maybe they do, in which case that's fun.

Nick: Yeah, it's an option. The other idea I had was that because this is a college town, you're probably on the same route. You probably have regulars.

Leah: Yeah.

Nick: It would be nice to maybe learn people's names and then greet them by name. Like, "Morning, Dave." "Have a good day, Lisa." And, like, that could be nice.

Leah: I would love to be having this conversation with our driver just because, you know, you want to be like, "Do you want more work?"

Nick: What they want is something that's more interesting than just hello. They want to vary it up a little. This is our ...

Leah: No, I know. But I mean, if you're gonna learn people's names, you have to be like, "Oh, hey. I'm Leah, what's your name?"

Nick: Oh, that's true, yeah. How would I learn their names?

Leah: Because they've already said they need to keep it moving.

Nick: That's true. Okay. All right, we can't learn anybody's names. That's fine.

Leah: I love where you're going. I love the alphabet game. I think that's very fun, but I want to stay within the parameters of their needs.

Nick: That's true. Yeah. Okay, names, too far. We went too far with names, but alphabet game or live long and prosper. This is good.

Leah: Because what you're going for is a welcoming—that moment of connection.

Nick: Ultimately, this is what we're trying to do.

Leah: You see them, they see you, you're registering them as human beings onto and off of your vehicle.

Nick: Right. This is the goal. And by making the greeting a little more interesting, you can enhance that connection, because if it's just hello, that actually just sort of becomes innocuous and like a non-greeting.

Leah: I do love that they tried "Howdy."

Nick: I feel like "Howdy" is totally fine. Like, I'm not getting cowboy vibes personally for a "Howdy."

Leah: Maybe when this person said it, the cowboy came out of them. Like they couldn't contain the cowboy.

Nick: And that cowboy was bad in this instance. Cowboy was undesirable.

Leah: No, I think they just felt like the cowboy wasn't what the situation called for.

Nick: Or they didn't feel cowboy and it felt like an imposter.

Leah: Or they felt maybe they were too cowboy, and the people getting on the bus were thinking, "Oh, is there a driver? Because—or is this cowboy working?"

Nick: Oh, is this a stagecoach?

Leah: Yes.

Nick: Sure. And "Good afternoon" seemed like too much?

Leah: I feel like "Good afternoon" is fine.

Nick: I mean, if "Good afternoon" is too much, then I think all of my ideas are too much.

Leah: Well, Nick ...

Nick: I mean, par for the course. [laughs] I mean, if "Good afternoon" is too much, then "Live long and prosper" is way too far.

Leah: Well, I also threw in a head nod with a smile to get the other end of the spectrum.

Nick: Yeah, there you go. And I do think that even if somebody's wearing headphones, you can still verbally say the greeting. It's fine. You can still say hello. People get what that is, even if you're wearing headphones.

Leah: I mean, if we're gonna do the alphabet game, we could do accents. "G'day, mate!"

Nick: I would absolutely use that for G. For sure.

Leah: And I knew that was—I knew that was horrible the way I said it, but it just came out and I'm gonna stick to it.

Nick: Yeah. No, your best Crocodile Dundee. Absolutely. Yes. Yeah, you could do a whole alphabet of cliché global greetings. Yes.

Leah: You could have a day of the week set for different languages. Like Monday is French. Bonjour!

Nick: Oh, we're gonna come up with 26 French greetings? Good luck with that. [laughs]

Leah: No, but then we just say "Bonjour" all day, and then the next day ...

Nick: Oh, I see. Oh, we're not doing the alphabet.

Leah: "Buenos días."

Nick: Got it. We're not trying to do an alphabet in a foreign language.

Leah: No, no, no, no, no.

Nick: Because talk about work. Oh my goodness!

Leah: No, I'm saying if we're gonna do that, then Mondays is always ...

Nick: Yes, Monday is "Ahoy" day. Tuesday is "Bonjour." Wednesday is "Ciao."

Leah: Yeah, this is another option.

Nick: Okay, I like this. All right, so letter-writer, I think you have some wonderful options. And so we look forward to hearing what you do and how it goes.

Leah: Keep us updated.

Nick: And you out there, do you have questions for us? Oh yes you do! Oh yes you do! So send them to us. Send them to us through our website, WereYouRaisedByWolves.com, or you can leave us a voicemail or send us a text message: (267) CALL-RBW. And we'll see you next time!

Leah: Bye. Ooh, live long and prosper.

Nick: [laughs] Bye.