Q. I have noticed that, when you use the new type of tomato ketchup bottle, it makes a rude noise which can be embarrassing if you are eating alone with other couples behind you. I wondered how I could alert fellow diners to the noise having come from the bottle and not from me?
— E.H., London N1
A. To draw any further attention to such an occurrence would only make matters worse. This product has been causing social discomfort for many decades and it is high time the manufacturers addressed the issue. Experienced ketchup consumers ask for it to be brought to the table pre-squirted into a side dish, so as not to offend.
Q. My husband and I frequently have people to stay at weekends and love having them. Our problem arises after lunch on Sunday afternoons when we notice certain guests, far from packing up and signing the visitor’s book, are instead starting to settle in.
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