Guessing somebody's age is impolite Dear Annie: May I say something about people who make assumptions about someone's age? My 18-year-old daughter is on the petite side. She is 4-foot-11 and weighs 95 pounds. On several occasions, we have been invited to dinner at a restaurant and asked by our host if we would need a child's menu. I usually respond by giving them a quizzical look, and saying, "No. Why do you ask?" Sometimes, however, the question brings my daughter to tears. If someone wants a child's menu, they will ask for one. If it turns out you accidentally hand an adult menu to a child, the worst that can happen is that the young person will be pleased to be mistaken for someone older. — Shorty's Mom Dear Mom: Granted, no one should make assumptions about another's age, regardless of how old, but your daughter needs to toughen up. She is going to be confronted with this for the rest of her life and should find ways to deal with it instead of bursting into tears. (The good news is, when she is 50, people will assume she is 20 years younger.)

assumption (n.) 推测；假定

petite (adj.) 个子小的；娇小的

quizzical (adj.) 怀疑的；有疑问的

to bring someone to tears 使（某人）哭泣

accidentally (adv.) 偶然地；意外地

regardless (adv.) 不管怎么样的；无论如何地

to toughen up 使坚强；使强健

to be confronted with 面对；遭遇

to assume (v.) 以为；认为