Life
Porn
Are we living in a new pornocracy? The first one spanned six decades of the 10th century, during which there…
Real life
‘Missing Dog, Please Do Not Call, Chase or Try To Grab Her!! She Will Run!!’ This notice, featuring the face…
The road not taken
In Competition No. 3247, you were asked to submit the reflections of a well-known writer on a career path they…
2554: Going, going…
The unclued lights, including one of two words, are of a kind, all confirmed in Chambers. A further example (4)…
Puzzle no. 701
White to play. Reshevsky-Savon, Petropolis 1973. Reshevsky played the awful 1 Qxg6+, and resigned after 1…Bxg6. Many moves win, but…
Gorilla tactics
There is a video in which a small group of students amble about passing a basketball back and forth. The…
The Battle for Britain
Got something to add? Join the discussion and comment below.
Low life
So that’s it. Is a third world war possible? It’s already begun, opined a retired US general in the newspaper.…
Let us eat cake
Amid the bronze cladding of Soho, with its pop-up, suck-down restaurants – the Cadbury’s Creme Egg Café was a nadir…
Dear Mary: Your problems solved
Q. We went for lunch over the bank holiday with the parents of one of my son’s schoolfriends. We had…
Bridge
My teammate Thor Erik Hoftaniska is having a bit of a moment. He won last year’s (online) Gold Cup (on…
A police farce
I welcome Jacob Rees-Mogg’s recent announcement that he intends to reignite David Cameron’s ‘bonfire of the quangos’ in his capacity…
High life
New York Back in the good old days the Carlyle Hotel on Manhattan’s Upper East Side was the hotel for…
Aussie life
The failure of Russian forces to achieve their Ukrainian objectives is said to have surprised nobody more than their commander-in-chief.…
Language
The current prominence of the word ‘gaffe’ is due to the Gaffe Meister himself – Joe Biden. But on investigation…
2553: Island alien
The unclued lights (15 words in total) are to be arranged to provide a definition from Chambers of one of…
The Metaphor Map
‘What’s that?’ asked my husband, looking at my laptop. ‘Fibonacci fossilised?’ His question made no sense, but I saw what…
Low life
On the morning of my last day in England, I drew back a curtain and there in the garden, browsing…
The turf
The Irish aren’t just good at winning horse races: they are in the Super League when it comes to celebrating…
There’s no one better than Boris
Eighteen months ago, I wrote a column for this magazine saying I regretted having been such a Boris enthusiast for…
The hidden cost of parked cars
Much of the current antipathy towards the car derives from the excessive influence Londoners exert over national debates. London is…
High life
I celebrate two Easters every year, the Catholic one and the Orthodox one, which means I get very drunk on…
Super Tuscany
Amid the grandeur of old Edinburgh, in the lee of the castle, is one of the finest buildings in Scotland:…
Dear Mary: Your problems solved
Q. As a publisher, I have been fortunate to discover an unpublished writer who is the author of some truly…
Let’s get physical
In Competition No. 3246, you were invited to submit a poem in the style of the poet of your choice…
