Dear Delphi,

I told my 16-year-old daughter who was dumped by her boyfriend and is desperate to get him back that she should go over to his dorm room in nothing but a trenchcoat and strip. Now I think I may have said too much; my husband was angry when I told him my advice. I did not mean it literally; I really just wanted her to stop moaning. How can I take it back?

“€”Said Too Much in New Jersey

Dear Said Too Much in New Jersey,

Yes, you definitely overspoke! Assuming you do not want your daughter to be the school slut”€”or have the reputation of being the school slut”€”get on the phone now and explain that you expressed yourself very poorly. Tell her the trenchcoat idea is something you wished you had done when you were 25 but never did because it was a bad idea then and still is; you are not sure why it slipped out as a possible plan. Say you were drunk if you must! Then tell her you are going to hang up and think of a better plan”€”one that will work.

Do not tell her you just wanted her to be happy or got tired of listening to her complain or that she is too young to execute the trenchcoat maneuver properly. Don”€™t challenge her by insinuating she can”€™t handle such tricks; that will only make it more appealing. You also do not want her to think that her happiness is dependent upon her stripping for a man unless you want her pole-dancing in wet T-shirt contests by age 18.