Miss Manners: That awkward moment when you see a smile-and-wave acquaintance out of context

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I wonder if there is a proper way to greet people you never speak to but see all the time, when you suddenly run into them in an entirely different setting.

Related Articles

I refer to them as the “SNOW” people:Those you see regularly at work, school, the gym, church or around the neighborhood, with whom you always exchange a friendly Smile, Nod Or Wave.

Then one day, you see them at the supermarket. Your initial reaction is surprise (as if they don’t exist outside the sphere you know them from), followed by joy and a desire to embrace them like a long-lost friend … until you recover your senses and realize, with acute embarrassment, that you don’t even know their first name!

It seems silly to say, “What are you doing here?” since the answer is obvious, but to ignore