Dear Annie: My neighbor “Charlie” is a chatterbox. He only works part-time and is home for the day by 11 a.m. For most of the afternoon, he hangs out in his front yard, talking to passersby. Anytime I run into him, it turns into a 20-minute-plus rambling conversation about all sorts of topics and people I don’t know. I avoid taking out the trash some nights because I don’t want to get stuck outside talking to him. Sometimes, I peek outside, see he’s not there and think the coast is clear, but then he rushes outside once I do. His family has a motion-activated “smart” security camera on the front of their house that I set off going down my driveway.

I’m not alone in feeling this way about Charlie. Recently, I said hello to my mailman, and he whispered, “I need to get out of here before Charlie gets started.”

Charlie really is a nice guy, and I’ve grown fond of him and his family over the past few years that I’ve lived here. And I know his chattiness is not a real problem, only a minor annoyance. But I wish I could keep our conversations to a minimum some days. And I don’t think he’s lonely; they’ve got three generations in one household, so it’s not as though there’s a shortage of people for him to talk to. I’ve tried dropping the usual hints — looking at my phone to check the time — but he just doesn’t get it, and he never pauses long enough for me to say that I need to go. Would it be rude of me to interrupt him? — Ear Off

Dear Ear Off: Dropping hints works fine with people who pick them up. Others need a more direct approach. But direct doesn’t need to mean confrontational. The next time Charlie gets to chatting, give him a warm smile and say: “I really have to get going. I’ll catch you later.” Other variations that will work: “I’m in the middle of chores…” or “I was just about to make dinner…” If he bristles at the brush-off, that’s on him. But if he’s such a social butterfly, I have a feeling he won’t mind. He’ll simply alight on his next audience.

“Ask Me Anything: A Year of Advice From Dear Annie” is out now. Annie Lane’s debut book featuring favorite columns on love, friendship, family and etiquette is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information.

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