Showing 1 - 10 of 12
Let's hope 2026 is not too amazing
Roger Crutchley, Published on 04/01/2026
» Well here we are on the fourth day of a brand new year. I trust everyone is holding up well after the festivities because it can be quite gruelling pretending to behave in a jovial fashion if you are not feeling jovial at all.
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.
When Bangkok bid for the Olympics
Roger Crutchley, Published on 28/07/2024
» It's been 100 years since the last Paris Olympics which was dramatically portrayed in the stirring 1981 film Chariots of Fire. I can still picture that opening scene with the British athletes running along the beach to the sounds of that Vangelis anthem. It's hard to believe that was made 43 years ago. If this year's Olympics are even half as exciting as the 1924 event it will be an achievement.
Words you don't really want to hear
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 04/12/2022
» It's that time of the year when publishers of major dictionaries bombard us with what they regard as the "words of the year". They rarely agree on the same offering, but there is one common theme -- nearly all words selected are frankly rather depressing.
There's nothing wrong in shedding a tear
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 25/09/2022
» I admit to spending the best part of Monday afternoon stoically trying to fight off the teardrops -- and almost managing it. I was watching the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on TV and for an ancient Brit like me it was emotionally exhausting. Please excuse me for the sentimentality.
Bow Bells rang out but not the accents
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 03/04/2022
» Firstly, a belated follow-up featuring the cockney accent from an American reader who wanted to meet a real cockney when he was in London a few years ago. Aware of the traditional definition of a cockney being "someone born within the sound of Bow Bells", he made a special effort to visit St Mary-le-Bow church, the source of the bells.
Unearthing the true meaning of tea money
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 23/05/2021
» Thanks to readers for their entertaining comments and emails on last week's PostScript concerning the delights of drinking tea. There were assorted inspiring tales of eccentric tea ladies, quirky tea-time habits and important song lyrics I had overlooked.
Three wheels, 9 lives and lots of noise
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 07/04/2019
» There was an encouraging story from Jakarta this week about a former tuk-tuk driver who has converted his vehicle into a mobile library. Sutino Hadi now spends his days driving to the poorer areas of Indonesia's capital where he is greeted by enthusiastic kids eager to get their hands on his collection of children's books. It's proven to be highly popular and apparently there are similar mobile libraries throughout the country.
Thailand through the looking glass
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 06/01/2019
» I trust everyone is recovering from the silly hats and hangovers season. Soon it will be back to the grim reality -- hangovers without the silly hats.
Suffering a case of the whirlygigs
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 07/10/2018
» It was the unlikely setting of the US Senate Judiciary last week which has sparked considerable debate on what constitutes drunkenness. There were references to a "stumbling drunk", a "sloppy drunk", a "slurring drunk" and a "belligerent drunk". But there seems to be a certain lack of creativeness in these descriptions. Perhaps a little European influence would liven things up a bit.