Showing 1 - 10 of 36
Hedgehoppers in search of good news
Roger Crutchley, Published on 01/02/2026
» Being the very first day of February it would have been nice if there was some good news worth celebrating, but unfortunately nothing immediately springs to mind. Cheerful news is an increasingly rare commodity these days. It all seems to be gloom and doom and hardly portends a joyful 2026. It can get a bit wearying grappling with news reports featuring contradictions, cover-ups and cock-ups, often accompanied by half-truths, prevarications and porky pies. But this is the world we now live in.
Words of the year are bit of a worry
Roger Crutchley, Published on 07/12/2025
» More words or phrases of the year have been drifting in courtesy of the major dictionaries and I'm afraid most of them are not particularly encouraging. In fact some are a disturbing indication of the direction in which the English language and society are heading.
Good time to celebrate verbal gaffes
Roger Crutchley, Published on 12/10/2025
» Tomorrow happens to be Plain English Day which has in recent years morphed into International Plain Language Day designed to promote the proper use of language. In other words the aim is to cut out all the gibberish, mumbo jumbo, codswallop, balderdash, tripe, tommyrot, twaddle, tosh and bosh you may have become accustomed to… heaven forbid, some of it even in PostScript.
Last Frontier unlike any other place
Roger Crutchley, Published on 17/08/2025
» Alaska has been thrust into the news this weekend for reasons that require no explanation. It's a suitably symbolic venue for the Trump-Putin summit considering it was once part of the Russian Empire. It is certainly an extraordinary part of the world that is much appreciated by those who love the wilderness.
Why custard doesn't cut the mustard
Roger Crutchley, Published on 27/10/2024
» Last week I came across an expression I hadn't heard for years, courtesy of the Bangkok Post's cryptic crossword. The clue was "It's sweet (but cowardly)". The answer turned out to be "custard". That took me back to pre-teen days when "cowardy, cowardy custard" (without the 'L') was a taunt heard at my primary school when someone timid was being teased.
Thailand through the looking glass
Roger Crutchley, Published on 07/01/2024
» It's that time of the year when newspaper columnists predict what's in store for the next 12 months. Hopefully it will be an improvement on last year. We have just about scraped through the Year of the Rabbit but I haven't got too much faith in what the Year of the Dragon has to offer. We cannot rule out another annus horribilis.
Britain braces for invasion of bed bugs
Roger Crutchley, Published on 22/10/2023
» One English expression my wife often comes up with is "Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite". It sounds particularly comforting in her Thai accent, although occasionally she gets in a bit of a tangle with the three "b" words at the end which can be a bit tricky if spoken quickly.
Proud moment for a girl called 'Proud'
Roger Crutchley, Published on 10/09/2023
» It's about time we had some cheerful news and what could be more cheerful than witnessing the wonderful smile of 19-year-old Thai golfer Chanettee Wannasaen after her extraordinary win at the LPGA's Portland Classic last Sunday. Nicknamed "Proud" the Chiang Mai native was beaming as she clutched the large trophy which was almost as big as herself.
Spies in the sky blowin' in the wind
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 19/02/2023
» The current "balloon" wars have been quite entertaining in a weird sort of way with a strange mix of espionage, propaganda and porky pies that are just enough to capture the public's imagination. Perhaps secretly we would like one of these unidentified flying objects (UFO) to be something a bit more mysterious than simply a common weather balloon. But we haven't quite yet reached the "little green men" stage.
Word of the year is hardly comforting
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 06/11/2022
» The most noteworthy news of the week is that Collins Dictionary came out with what it regards are the top 10 words of the year, saying they reflect the state of the world at the moment. It does not make happy reading.