A friend phoned the other day to ask if I thought that prognose was a real word. I assured her that it was. But I also said that she was unlikely to find it in an everyday dictionary. And her … Continue reading
Words have always fascinated me. Even before I could read I wanted to know why certain words were the way they were. Unfortunately, there has never been any shortage of people ready and willing to provide answers. Take bloody – … Continue reading
Alec Issigonis, the Greek-born British racing driver and designer of the Morris Minor and the original Mini, once observed that, when a committee sets out to design a horse, the result is usually a camel. Well, perhaps. If you are … Continue reading
Recently, I happened upon a newspaper that had somehow managed to avoid the recycling bin for more than 80 years. The paper itself had taken on the colour of lightly-brewed tea, and some of the pages were a bit frayed … Continue reading
More than 200 years ago, Samuel Johnson cautioned his fellow journalists ‘Do not accustom yourself to use big words for small matters’. Oh that some of today’s scribblers would heed your advice, Sam. Over the past few days, I have … Continue reading
‘It’s been said that writing comes more easily if you have something to say.’ – Sholem Asch
Dining recently in a restaurant where 95 percent of the menu was in English, I couldn’t help noticing that one of the main course dishes was described as ‘Seared scallops with boudin noir’. I wondered if the chef had found … Continue reading
‘True ease in writing comes from art, not chance/ As those move easiest who have learned to dance.’ – Alexander Pope
Over the past few weeks I’ve been rereading Winston Churchill’s A History of the English-Speaking Peoples. Churchill was a lifelong history fan. He was also an excellent writer. He began writing the four-volume history in 1937. But it wasn’t until … Continue reading
‘Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving wordy evidence of the fact.’ – George Eliot