Answer Angel: Life with long nails

Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I can’t be the only person who has very long (mine are fake) fingernails! But they are causing me a real hassle.

Yes, I can type with them and use my iPhone and manage my daily life ... but not at my ATM, gas stations, rent-a-cart at airports and parking meters where you insert a credit card.

I have had to ask strangers at those places to retrieve the card after I insert it because my fingernails are too long to pull it out of the machine. That is inviting trouble and what to do if nobody is around? What’s the solution? I’m not giving up my long nails.

--Amelia J.

Dear Amelia: This is a new one on me. Clearly the day is coming when swipe or tap-to-pay “contactless” payment using your phone will be everywhere and the “insert” issue will be as obsolete as the typewriter. But it is going to take a while.

In this transition period, you can buy a credit card grabber/puller specifically designed for this. They come on a handy key ring on amazon.com starting at $3.56. Thanks for the question, Amelia. You’ve helped readers across the county solve this annoying dilemma.

Speaking of obscure issues…

Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I debuted a new pair of tropical print swim trunks at a family event. One of my nieces accused me of being a swinger! Was I sending some signal? Should I stop wearing them? I don't want to give anyone the wrong impression.

--Daniel B.

Dear Daniel: Tropical prints are everywhere and totally stylish. Stores are filled with prints on just about any piece of clothing (and accessories) you can imagine. If that’s the hidden meaning of items ranging from Hawaiian shirts to ball gowns to fabric potholders, we’re all in trouble. In fact matching tropical print tops and shorts worn together are enjoying a fashion moment.

You’re stylish and nobody is getting the wrong impression—with one possible, narrow exception. Pineapples. In an extremely small segment of the population, pineapples (especially upside down ones) have a questionable connotation. However, much more widely, a decorative pineapple has been a sign of hospitality for many decades!

I wouldn’t worry about those swim trunks. You’ll be fine.Angelic Readers

Thanks to the many, many readers who sent a warning to those who find small, mysterious holes showing up on T-shirts and tops made of similar flimsy fabrics. In a recent answer to Amy S., I blamed rough edges of countertops rubbing against the shirt. But now I learn from you super sleuths that that is only part of the story.

Beth K. explains: “My husband and I were both perplexed by the same thing. The culprit is the rough button, on jeans in particular. When you lean against a waist-high counter while doing dishes, brushing teeth or applying makeup, the T-shirts rub against the rough buttons—especially metal ones--forming tiny holes. The quick fix for me is to tuck in the T-shirt prior to performing these tasks. It is a frustrating thing to have happen to a favorite shirt!!” Karin P. says, “I just figured out what is causing small holes in my loose cotton tops at the waistline—my seatbelt.”

From Patti L.: “I wear jeans like 90% of the time & I discovered the holes are being caused by my zipper snagging the T-shirts. I'm not a skinny mini but a teeny bit overweight so maybe my tummy protrudes a tiny bit and I'm just saying, I too have those holes in all my tops.”

Katherine J. blames “a belt buckle pressing on the fabric day after day.” Mary H. thinks it is her crossbody purse. Pat D. says, “I finally realized that it’s the waistband of my jeans. There is a small point that forms just at the top of the waistband above the button enclosure. That little pop-up corner seems to be the culprit.” Lisa M.: “The weight-lifting bars at the gym.”

Suggested solutions were button covers and seatbelt covers purchased online.