“Students, if you were on a date, having dinner with a nice young lady, how would you politely say that you need to go to the bathroom? Michael?”
Michael: “Just a minute, I have to go pee.”
Teacher: “That would be rude and impolite! What about you, Peter? How would you say it?”
Peter: “I’m sorry, but I really need to go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”
Teacher: “Better, but it’s still not ideal to mention the bathroom at the dinner table. And you, Little Johnny? Can you show us good manners for once?”
Johnny: “I would say, ‘Darling, may I please be excused for a moment? I need to step out briefly and will be right back, as I wouldn’t want to miss a moment with you.’”
The teacher smiled, relieved at Johnny’s politeness—for once!