DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a retired physician from an academic medical center, and I continue to teach interested residents. I led a weekly seminar for senior residents last year. They worked very hard, and at the end of the year, my wife and I invited them to a reception at our home. The invitations included an RSVP.
GENTLE READER: But surely they should teach students the obligation to answer questions, including ones such as “Would you like to come to a reception?” Or perhaps they should not accept candidates who lack the common sense to figure that out on their own. That said, she confesses to a dislike for the term “RSVP” -- especially when it is used as a noun or verb, and when it is rendered in capital letters instead of, properly, “R.s.v.p.”
Why are we using a French acronym? Why can’t we just say “Please respond”? Perhaps then, your students would have understood.Dear Annie: Uncharacteristic behavior may signal an underlying health issueIf you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.