Etiquette, manners, and beyond! In this episode, Nick and Leah answer listener questions about escaping excessive birthday plans, updating professional references, sharing phone chargers with guests, and much more. Please follow us! (We'd send you a hand-written thank you note if we could.)
Have a question for us? Call or text (267) CALL-RBW or visit ask.wyrbw.com

QUESTIONS FROM THE WILDERNESS:

How do I just celebrate a friend's birthday instead of their birth month?

How can I let a professional reference know I didn't get the job?

How do I tell my friend I don't want to be her personal photographer on our vacation?

Do I have to share my phone charger with my guests if they forgot their own?

Aftermath: The Sinister Cilantro Stealer


THINGS MENTIONED DURING THE SHOW

Spelunking on Wikipedia

"The Descent" movie trailer

Previous episode about the cilantro stealer

Photo of the gopher


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CREDITS
Hosts: Nick Leighton & Leah Bonnema
Producer & Editor: Nick Leighton
Theme Music: Rob Paravonian

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TRANSCRIPT
Episode 157
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Escaping Excessive Birthday Plans, Updating Professional References, Sharing Phone Chargers, and More

Editors’ Notes: “I want to give everybody the tools to solve their own etiquette problems,” says Nick Leighton, cohost and producer of Were You Raised by Wolves?, a weekly podcast in which he and cohost Leah Bonnema look into the many sticky social situations we all face. “With each of the questions that we get, from the bonkers to the ordinary, I always try to take a step back and ask, ‘What are the bigger principles here?’ I'm always looking for topics that help us make a larger point.” In each episode, Leighton, a two-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, and Bonnema, a comic/writer, share practical advice on how to navigate a wide range of situations, from the serious to the whimsical—whether they tackle interrupting excessive talkers, establishing healthy boundaries with coworkers, or the proper way to eat Cheetos.

When they developed the show in 2019, Leighton and Bonnema had one goal in mind: to have empathy for other people. Their informal conversations tackle a mix of personal topics, viewer questions, and the occasional historical fact with warmth and positivity and humor. Leighton views this approach as an antidote to a lot of the negativity he sees in the online world, while Bonnema thinks the show’s premise is a natural fit for her situational style of comedy. “A lot of my comedy is about events where I’m like, ‘What just happened here?’ or where I embarrass myself,” she says. “And, ironically, all of these fall under the guise of etiquette, where you either feel aggrieved or you feel like you committed some sort of social crime. I just loved the topic.”

Leighton and Bonnema credit the show’s ongoing success to their work ethic. They haven’t missed a single week since they launched the show, which recently hit a new milestone: 100 episodes. But what they value the most, above all else, is how they've built a community of listeners from all backgrounds. “We have conservative grandmothers in Tallahassee to nonbinary chefs in Seattle and everybody in between,” he says. “Because who among us has not experienced an etiquette crime? This is universal.”

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Etiquette, manners, and beyond! Join Emmy® Award-winning journalist Nick Leighton and acclaimed comedian Leah Bonnema ("Late Show with Stephen Colbert"), the perfect odd couple, as they try to make the world a nicer, more polite place and offer up practical advice to help you smoothly glide through any situation. Please listen and follow! (We'd send you a hand-written thank you note if we could.)

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Education

Training

Language Courses

Higher Education

K-12

Educational Technology

Comedy

Relationships

Self-Improvement

Comedy Interviews

Etiquette, manners, and beyond! This week, Nick and Leah are enjoying a well-deserved break, but they'll be back next week with an all-new episode. In the meantime, here's one of their favorite episodes from the archives in which they tackle sending wedding cards to exes, being polite to Siri and Alexa, asking people for favors, and much more. Please follow us! (We'd send you a hand-written thank you note if we could.)
Have a question for us? Call or text (267) CALL-RBW or visit ask.wyrbw.com

EPISODE CONTENTS


AMUSE-BOUCHE: "Il Galateo" by Giovanni della Cassa


A QUESTION OF ETIQUETTE: Riding in cars


QUESTIONS FROM THE WILDERNESS: Should I send a card to my ex who is getting remarried? Should you say "please" and "thank you" to Alexa and Siri?


VENT OR REPENT: Asking for favors, Texting before a party


CORDIALS OF KINDNESS: Thanks to Canyon friends, A nice review


THINGS MENTIONED DURING THE SHOW

"Il Galateo" by Giovanni della Cassa

Yacht Rock


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CREDITS
Hosts: Nick Leighton & Leah Bonnema
Producer & Editor: Nick Leighton
Theme Music: Rob Paravonian

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TRANSCRIPT
Episode 178
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Memorial Day Break: Sending Wedding Cards to Exes, Being Polite to Smart Speakers, Asking People for Favors, and More

Etiquette, manners, and beyond! In this episode, Nick and Leah answer listener questions about faking wedding start times, asking for gifts back, clipping nails in church, and much more. Please follow us! (We'd send you a hand-written thank you note if we could.)
Have a question for us? Call or text (267) CALL-RBW or visit ask.wyrbw.com

QUESTIONS FROM THE WILDERNESS:

Is it rude to put a fake start time on a wedding invitation?

What's the polite way to tell someone "when" to stop pouring wine?

How do I politely decline someone's offer to share a hotel room?

Is it OK to ask for a gift back after someone dies?

What do you do if you only remember a dog's name but not the owner's?

Etiquette Crime Report: Clipping nails in church


THINGS MENTIONED DURING THE SHOW
A "Standard Pour" of wine

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CREDITS
Hosts: Nick Leighton & Leah Bonnema
Producer & Editor: Nick Leighton
Theme Music: Rob Paravonian

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TRANSCRIPT
Episode 227
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Faking Wedding Start Times, Asking for Gifts Back, Clipping Nails in Church, and More

Etiquette, manners, and beyond! In this episode, Nick and Leah tackle getting things monogrammed, behaving at brunch, requesting graduation money, and much more. Please follow us! (We'd send you a hand-written thank you note if we could.)
Have a question for us? Call or text (267) CALL-RBW or visit ask.wyrbw.com

EPISODE CONTENTS


AMUSE-BOUCHE: Monograms


A QUESTION OF ETIQUETTE: Brunch


QUESTIONS FROM THE WILDERNESS: When you have an extra ticket to a performance, is it rude to send a group text to see who calls dibs first? Is it OK to include a QR code or Venmo address on a graduation invitation?


VENT OR REPENT: Commenting on hair, Joking at a VC party


CORDIALS OF KINDNESS: Thanks for the song, A nice review


THINGS MENTIONED DURING THE SHOW

The Preppy Handbook

Elizabeth Holmes documentary "The Dropout" trailer


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CREDITS
Hosts: Nick Leighton & Leah Bonnema
Producer & Editor: Nick Leighton
Theme Music: Rob Paravonian

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TRANSCRIPT
Episode 226
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Getting Things Monogrammed, Behaving at Brunch, Requesting Graduation Money, and More

Etiquette, manners, and beyond! In this episode, Nick and Leah answer listener questions about removing shoes on airplanes, exiting weddings early, welcoming guests in, and much more. Please follow us! (We'd send you a hand-written thank you note if we could.)
Have a question for us? Call or text (267) CALL-RBW or visit ask.wyrbw.com

QUESTIONS FROM THE WILDERNESS:

What are your thoughts on removing one's shoes on an airplane?

How do you handle a friend who wants a friendship more than you do and also always suggests meeting up closer to where they live?

Should a bride and groom leave their wedding reception before the last song?

How do you feel about the phrase "Welcome In"?

What do you do about a friend who's always a downer at parties?

PSA: You're on camera when you sit front row at an opera or musical.


THINGS MENTIONED DURING THE SHOW
Sound Baths

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Subscribe and rate us 5 stars on Apple Podcasts

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CREDITS
Hosts: Nick Leighton & Leah Bonnema
Producer & Editor: Nick Leighton
Theme Music: Rob Paravonian

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TRANSCRIPT
Episode 225
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Removing Shoes on Airplanes, Exiting Weddings Early, Welcoming Guests In, and More

Etiquette, manners, and beyond! In this episode, Nick and Leah tackle enjoying petit fours, visiting New York City, tracking down perishable gifts, and much more. Please follow us! (We'd send you a hand-written thank you note if we could.)
Have a question for us? Call or text (267) CALL-RBW or visit ask.wyrbw.com

EPISODE CONTENTS


AMUSE-BOUCHE: Mignardises and Petit Fours


A QUESTION OF ETIQUETTE: New York City Etiquette


QUESTIONS FROM THE WILDERNESS: How do I respond to unsolicited encouragement from a stranger after a fitness class? How should I handle a perishable gift that's been delayed in the mail?


VENT OR REPENT: Rude taxi drivers, Stealing laundry carts


CORDIALS OF KINDNESS: Using luggage racks, Thanks for joining us at our recent live show


THINGS MENTIONED DURING THE SHOW
Parts of a French meal

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO...

Support our show through Patreon

Subscribe and rate us 5 stars on Apple Podcasts

Call, text, or email us your questions


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CREDITS
Hosts: Nick Leighton & Leah Bonnema
Producer & Editor: Nick Leighton
Theme Music: Rob Paravonian

ADVERTISE ON OUR SHOW
Click here for details

TRANSCRIPT
Episode 224
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Escaping Excessive Birthday Plans, Updating Professional References, Sharing Phone Chargers, and More

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