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Mind your language

The fascinating history of dullness

As a word for men who love sheds, it has nothing to do with blades that don’t cut

11 October 2014

9:00 AM

11 October 2014

9:00 AM

At least I’ve got my husband’s Christmas present sorted out: the Dull Men of Great Britain calendar. It is no doubt intended ironically, as travelling the country photographing old pillar-boxes, for example, does not strike me as being in the least bit dull.

I had thought that dull, in reference to people, was a metaphor from dull in the sense of ‘unshiny’.

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