Nosy Question: What's Your Salary?

How to Respond: Be deliberately vague. You can say, "I do OK" or "I'd like to make more." If the person presses on, let your parents take the fall: Say, "My mother told me to never discuss money," and stop there. "Don't explain your response — simply change the subject," says advice columnist Amy Dickinson.

How to Ask: If you're trying to find out how much a particular job or industry pays, phrase it in this manner: "What could I expect to make as an account executive?"