Just Ask Georgia: 3/20/2024

Georgia, I have a question,

Why don’t people say what they mean? Alright...here we go.

I was invited to the birthday party of a colleague I don’t know all that well but am friendly with. He invites me and states, “No gifts, please.” So, I went to the party and, per request, I didn’t bring a gift; I then discovered that everyone else had. So, he was a bit upset with me the next day at work because I didn’t bring a gift. I reminded him, and he said, “No gifts,” but he seemed upset about the situation. Should I have taken a gift?

Does No Mean No?

Dear No,

Yes, most of the time, no means no. But a...