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Dear Annie: The perpetual plus-one

Dear Annie: I'm 29, living in New York City, with a job I love and a great group of friends -- none of whom are single. Half are married or engaged, the other half coupled up in serious relationships. I'm generally OK being single, but going out as the perpetual third wheel is wearing on me. ...

Hints From Heloise: Students lack in grammar skills

Dear Heloise: As a retired high school English teacher, I read with interest the letter concerning how written and spoken English standards have deteriorated in the United States. Based on my experience, my students in middle school would tell me that there was little to no exposure to grammar ...

Dear Annie: Hoping to heal a hurting family

Dear Annie: I've been married for 35 years and have four children and seven grandchildren. We are a blended family. All the children lived with, and were raised by, my husband and me. One of my daughters was always kind of a black sheep, always doing things outside the box. As a young child, ...

Hints From Heloise: Change is constant for languages

Dear Heloise: King Alfred the Great would never have said "you" to one person, since this was the plural form, and "thou" was the singular form. (This can be compared to the German "du" and the Spanish "tu.") After the French-speaking Normans in 1066 forced a two-tier society on England, they ...