High life
Now that Wimbledon is over, a few thoughts about youthful brains showing traces of horse tranquillisers, angel dust and cannabis,…
Real life
As I sat down to dinner in a lovely old country pub my reservation was cancelled by my iPhone, which…
Aussie life
Standing on the banks of the Swan River the skyline tells you how Perth retains observable links with its regional…
Language
Some trendy new expressions will probably have the lifespan of a fruit fly (for the scientifically minded, that’s between 30…
French tomato tart
Last year, we grew tomatoes for the first time. And we did so with our characteristic enthusiasm, lack of knowledge…
I need a holiday from my holiday
Reading about all the travel chaos, I began to regret my summer holiday plans. Wouldn’t it have been more sensible…
A summer of thrillers
Great sport needs great rivalries, and that is why anyone with a pulse must celebrate being in the throes of…
Dear Mary
Q. I have got myself in a pickle. My boss was given a bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal by a…
First draught
I am not sure the vast Bierschenke bierkeller in Covent Garden is successful, even if it is skilful: I worry…
Vape
Last year, Oxford Languages’ word of the year was goblin mode. Apparently 300,000 voters decided upon it, but I haven’t…
Bridge
Bridge isn’t a game you can master quickly. Quite the opposite: with every new level you reach, another looms above…
Blitz
Nine wins in a row. What are the chances? That’s how Magnus Carlsen began on the first day of blitz…
Puzzle no. 761
White to play. Rapport-Caruana, Grand Chess Tour Rapid, Zagreb 2023. Caruana’s last move, 61…Bd6-e7, was a decisive mistake. Which move…
Travellers’ tales
In Competition No. 3208 you were invited to submit a short story whose first or last line is: ‘“Is there…
2614: Monkey business
Unclued lights (one of three words and one of two words, singly or paired) form three groups. Group 1 is three…
2611: On-board entertainment
Unclued lights were world CHESS champions. Current champion DING was to be highlighted. First prize Gail Petrie, Brean, Somerset Runners-up…
Lesbian domestic violence proves it’s not just a male problem
You may recall the campaign running on national television a few years ago. The ads were part of the Australian…
Will Chuck Grassley’s Burisma bombshell finally get the Bidens fired?
A famous clip from recent history: “I’m leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor’s not fired, you’re not getting the…
The book wars in the children’s section
If you don’t think there’s a war being waged against our children right now, you haven’t been paying attention. Or…
The Japanese are over rice
It would be an insult to call rice the staple food of Japan. For centuries it has been so much…
Just like a Danish pastry, Australia will become a flaky composition of treaties
Here’s looking at you, Western Australia. Your Aboriginal Heritage Act has taken our national attention. We sit watching the unfolding of your…
The trouble with Keir Mather
Every time I cross paths – or swords – with a cranky student activist, I have the same thought: ‘Oh…
Starmer turns on Sadiq over Ulez
You just hate to see it. Less than 12 hours after the Uxbridge result and already the Labour blame game…
