liz from north carolina

@Nora This is the fIrst time I'm leaving a comment, inspired by both the lead-in "manners" part of the essay and by nora's reference to the "NW" part of the puzzle. I knew immediately what she meant (the upper left hand corner). I had to laugh though, b/c my husband and I, who met during our surgery training, call that the RUQ (right upper quadrant) as we would have called the upper right hand part of the abdomen. (although we see it on our left, it is the patient's right). We all bring our own unique lives to these puzzles, which is the best part. My husband and I just started doing the puzzle together this year each morning (because I'm retired now and he is working part time). After 30 years together, it is only through the nYT puzzle that I learned that he can't spell worth a damn.!

@Sam Corbin. there is a LUQ as well as a LLQ and a RLQ (lower quadrant). RLQ - most famous for appendicitis. (patient's right), LLQ is most famous for diverticulitis