Judith Martin

Judith Martin

Judith Martin is awash on the stormy seas of etiquette and just as frequently, she is awash on the gorgeous canals of Venice where she makes her second home.

She is a Washington expert, having covered the White House before creating her advice column under its famous ...
Full bio

What Wows Me

  • Disinterested kindness

My Recent Post

Judith Martin: A Renaissance Woman

Here, here, Marin!

My Recent Conversation

The New Catch-22 for Women

Yes, they’re living longer, but that takes even more money. Join the wOw ladies as they discuss how to beat back aging (neuropeptide injections, anyone?) and ward off bag-lady syndrome

Dead to Me:

  • Boredom, non-specific guilt and envy. They were forbidden me as a child, and I found I could get along quite well without them.

My Shoes:

  • Daniela Ghezzo at Segalin a Venezia

My Foods:

  • Home cooking by my husband, especially the caviar blini with which he courted me.

I Love(d) Listening To:

  • That awful Mr. Wagner’s "Ring Cycle" (although I am ashamed to admit it).

I Wish I Lived In:

  • The house I do live in, but with a less crowded attic

I Want to Own:

  • Any company that I must deal with (telephone, airline, electrical power) so that I could insist upon decent customer service.

My Dream Experience Would Be:

  • Singing the great soprano roles in the major opera houses to grateful audiences who would then unhitch the horses from my carriage and pull it through the streets. (If only I could carry a tune.)

The First Thing I Do in the Morning Is:

  • Try to remember the amazing idea that I had during the night

I Respect:

  • The offices of our government, if not always the office-holders.

I Love(d) Reading:

I Hoard:

Things that apparently nobody else wants, so they are no longer made, including:

I Use:

  • Asparagus holders
  • Strawberry forks
  • Salad knives
  • Fish forks and knives
  • Berry spoons
  • Corn forks
  • Lobster picks
  • Orange knives and spoons
  • Ice cream spoons
  • Fruit knives and forks
  • Sandwich tongs
  • Click here for all


I Admire:

I Don't Care What They Say:

  • I still won’t shorten my skirts.

My Remedies: