Let’s address “when’s it due?”. It’s a tricky question if you know for sure that your interlocutor is pregnant. If you don’t, it’s potentially disastrous. The first time someone asked me… Read more You can’t ask me that: Is it ever OK to ask someone when they are due? →
Forget all those diktats regarding not talking about religion, politics or money. If you really want a quiet life then the question you must avoid at all costs is: “Do you… Read more You can’t ask me that: Are you a dog or cat person? →
If you’re interested in becoming a writer, join me and Mike Gayle at the Arvon Foundation’s Devon campus for a crash course in creating commercial fiction. We’ll be there from August… Read more Creative writing with the Arvon Foundation. →
If you’re ever stuck for an ice-breaker in a room full of six-year-olds, there’s one question guaranteed to get them all talking: “How old are you?” Especially if you follow… Read more You can’t ask me that: why how old you are can be a highly sensitive topic. →
Picture the scene. You’re at a party. You know no one but the host and they’ve had to rush to the kitchen to rescue some smoking vol-au-vents from the oven. You… Read more You can’t ask me that: Why is it rude and socially unacceptable to ask certain questions? →
Each Tuesday in the Independent Online, I’m going to be talking about the questions we dare not / should not ask one another, from the impudent to the downright illegal. … Read more You can’t ask me that… →