The Boston Globe

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Miss Conduct

Dinner with the overorderer

How to get a free-spending restaurant companion to rein it in. Plus, a host who doesn’t have great chairs for guests.

Whenever we go out to dinner with a large group, a friend begins ordering extras such as wine and appetizers without anyone’s input. I know he thinks he’s being gracious and helpful, but I begin to feel anxious as I add up the bill. Money isn’t an issue for him and his wife, but it is for us, and other people have mentioned his habit to me. Is there anything I can say?

L.O. / Lexington

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