Dot Wordsworth

Due diligence

2 July 2015 1:00 pm

No doubt you, too, have had the feeling, upon glancing at an article in a paper picked up in a…

On the cusp: a cliche with a hidden astrological side

27 June 2015 9:00 am

‘A stalker who dressed a pillow “mannequin” in his ex’s nurse’s uniform, then sent her a picture, has been told…

On the cusp

25 June 2015 1:00 pm

‘A stalker who dressed a pillow “mannequin” in his ex’s nurse’s uniform, then sent her a picture, has been told…

What kind of life-form boasts that it can ‘speak human’?

20 June 2015 9:00 am

The next Labour leader will have to be able to speak human, said a piece in the Observer. This, it…

Speak human

18 June 2015 1:00 pm

The next Labour leader will have to be able to speak human, said a piece in the Observer. This, it…

Trigger warning: this is an article about the word ‘trigger’

13 June 2015 9:00 am

A notion is going about that, just as readers of film reviews receive spoiler alerts, so readers of anything should…

Trigger

11 June 2015 1:00 pm

A notion is going about that, just as readers of film reviews receive spoiler alerts, so readers of anything should…

The rise and rise of the brain fade

6 June 2015 9:00 am

‘Aa-aah,’ groaned my husband, ‘we fade to grey.’ He had never been much of a Young Romantic, even when Visage…

Brain fade

4 June 2015 1:00 pm

‘Aa-aah,’ groaned my husband, ‘we fade to grey.’ He had never been much of a Young Romantic, even when Visage…

The real contest at Eurovision: worst lyric

30 May 2015 9:00 am

Like a reluctantly remembered nightmare, last week’s Eurovision Song Contest already seems very distant. But, in the manner of the…

Eurovision-speak

28 May 2015 1:00 pm

Like a reluctantly remembered nightmare, last week’s Eurovision Song Contest already seems very distant. But, in the manner of the…

Mind your language: Heritage this and heritage that

23 May 2015 9:00 am

Benidorm has applied for World Heritage status. To achieve this, says Unesco, a site must have ‘outstanding universal value’ in…

Heritage

21 May 2015 1:00 pm

Benidorm has applied for World Heritage status. To achieve this, says Unesco, a site must have ‘outstanding universal value’ in…

That irritating use of ‘progressive’ is more than a century old

16 May 2015 9:00 am

I was interested by the widespread annoyance at the use of progressive by the lefty parties before the election. Irritation…

Progressive

14 May 2015 1:00 pm

I was interested by the widespread annoyance at the use of progressive by the lefty parties before the election. Irritation…

Don’t want a Princess Charlotte? Try Violant, Fatima, Davina, Senna…

9 May 2015 9:00 am

It could have been much worse. Someone had pointed out that among the new baby’s ancestors was Queen Violant of…

Charlotte

7 May 2015 1:00 pm

It could have been much worse. Someone had pointed out that among the new baby’s ancestors was Queen Violant of…

English cities don’t have quarters – whatever the executives say

2 May 2015 9:00 am

‘No quarter given,’ yelled my husband as he stabbed at a cushion with his stick, spoiling the cavalier effect a…

Quarter

30 April 2015 1:00 pm

‘No quarter given,’ yelled my husband as he stabbed at a cushion with his stick, spoiling the cavalier effect a…

Does the English language need a Norwegian lesson?

25 April 2015 9:00 am

‘Ten Norwegian phrases that don’t exist in English but should,’ said the headline. So I had a little look, as…

Non-existent phrases

23 April 2015 1:00 pm

‘Ten Norwegian phrases that don’t exist in English but should,’ said the headline. So I had a little look, as…

Why do politicians go potty for ‘passion’?

18 April 2015 9:00 am

‘I long for spontaneous passion but I will never get it with my husband because I think he has Asperger…

Passion

16 April 2015 1:00 pm

‘I long for spontaneous passion but I will never get it with my husband because I think he has Asperger…

Nick Clegg’s public-school insult

11 April 2015 9:00 am

Married to a public-school man (I almost said boy) for many a long year, I can’t bring myself to disqualify…

Pious

9 April 2015 1:00 pm

Married to a public-school man (I almost said boy) for many a long year, I can’t bring myself to disqualify…