It's smart to ask your spouse to talk to your in-laws, but remember, you're not entirely off the hook.
So while it's smart to ask around to see if the hosts have any expectations or preferences, I've definitely worn short dresses to very formal weddings and haven't been out of place.
Since you don't always pick up cues about other people's feelings, it's smart to ask if they are interested or have time to listen before you launch into an involved discussion of your favorite topic.
"I think they're smart to ask me," he said.
But if the Republicans are going to capture the governor's office, some political experts say, they might be smart to ask Mr. Edgar for advice.
You might think that you're great at asking questions in class and ignore that behavior when you reflect on your day, but the others in the group might not be interested in the answers and think it'd be smarter to ask the teacher after class.
"We want to find places where France now has special privileges and ask whether it's smart to continue those," one American official said.
For example, when asked if it was smart to keep pressing for the elimination of the corporate tax at a time the administration is under fire for being too cozy with corporate America, the former Alcoa chief dismissed the whole issue.
For example, 15 minutes after announcing a $1.8 billion plan for new interchanges and "green lanes" on a state toll road, is it smart to ask a concrete contractor to pony up $500,000 for a campaign fund and then declare, "If they don't perform," expletive deleted " 'em"?
But it's important to take equal stock of both, so you're smart to be asking this question.
