Thanks to manifold case studies, we now understand that when dealing with company as a couple, the main role of the masculine-designation partner of any gender is to do the inviting.

For example: “Why don’t you all come over for dinner this evening and we’ll whip something up?” Having taken responsibility to reach out socially, the man’s job is largely over. Well, he could remember to tell his wife. That courtesy makes it easier for her to do the last-minute shopping. A simple, “Harvey and the guys like lots of meat,” or “Remember, the Whitfields are lactose intolerant,” should be sufficient.

Again a little planning is in order. If you call her after four, she may not be able to reschedule her late appointments so she can leave work early in time to buy the best cuts.

A considerate man’s second level of responsibility arises when the guests ring the doorbell. Recognizing that his wife’s hands are probably gooey from the béarnaise sauce, the man should launch himself out of the recliner and open the door with the hearty, “Welcome, all! What would you like to drink?”

The most effective way to deliver the drink orders is by passing through the kitchen on your way back to the recliner. If the guests are your old high school buds, your polo team or your Maintenance Department, it is important not to become embroiled in discussions of details such that one of your friends may have picked up the remote before you again become seated. When your company is another couple or two, the remote issue becomes mute.

Thus, with a group such as your fishing partners, your primary task becomes watching sports together and waiting for the food to arrive. Suggestions to the kitchen area can be made while maintaining television contact and should preferably be clothed in the form of questions, e.g. “Can you find the half-gallon of cocktail peanuts and bring them out here so Bruce won’t have to eat all my Cheetohs?”

On the issue of details, I seriously doubt that any of your pals will order a Manhattan. Rather, you should anticipate ale, a stalwart Rioja, bourbon and the occasional martini. Should your company be couples, you will also want to chill a fluffy but surreptitious little gewürztraminer. The beer should already be in the fridge, the automatic ice-maker takes care of the bourbon, and you can pre-mix the martinis. Be careful that evaluating your mix-ratios doesn’t lead to somnolence. Further, the thoughtful host always selects in advance a tray that is easy for his wife to carry.

While hosting other couples, the male Guest Relations responsibility changes subtly. Sans sports, the good host should keep the conversation rolling with political opinions, movie reviews, picaresque teenage adventures, and bizarre camping tales. Anecdotes recounting your mate’s foibles can also be particularly entertaining. The superior host remembers to offer helpful suggestions such as “Let’s make sure the onion rings are served hot,” or “You might want to scrape together that simple chocolate soufflé.” Again, this is best done prior to the guest arrival, as, once the camaraderie begins, it is difficult to recall constructive intentions.

At the end of the evening the good host asks his mate if she would like a back rub. One never knows where this kindness will lead. And the ultimate host, eschewing his own need for appreciation, verbally thanks his mate for a job well done and acknowledges her contribution to a successful evening, before he returns to the television to check the late-breaking scores.

Charlie Price lives with his wife, Joanie, in their Redding and Dunsmuir homes. He’s a business coach, consultant, writer, and author of “Dead Connection” and “Lizard People.”