Other Men's Flowers

The most argumentative man I ever met was a Croatian called Mischa. He disapproved of almost everything and everyone, and had even developed...

Any news item beginning with the words "Scientists in America....." is probably going to tell you something you'd rather not k...

Where have all the children gone? When did you last see one? Headline writers can be excused for abandoning them, because they take up too m...

Here's comfort for septuagenarians feeling OK now but wondering what they'll be like in ten years time. Or perhaps not, for this is ...

The next few months will be very trying for those of us who have no interest in sport: Euro 2004, the Olympics (sorry, The Games of the XXVI...

The hit counter I use for this blog also provides statistics which include an analysis of hits by time zones. From this I learn that about 3...

Joyce Grenfell 's understanding mother: "Darling, Daddy and I aren't in the least worried about you, I mean we know you'r...

We live in a quiet neighbourhood and there's no real need for canvassers to go round in pairs, so it was evidence of some keenness that ...

George in San Francisco tells me that 2,000 people are injured every year in France while opening oysters . I can think of no comment to mak...

There has always been a variety of styles in advertising. A hundred years ago approaches ranged from the forthright, where you were told ...

For a couple of years I enjoyed myself selling a huge variety of items on eBay. I gave up because the experienced antiques dealer I was wor...

Everyone knows Ogden Nash's bespectacled girl who doesn't get her necktacled. Here are some other tortured assonances. Tom Lehrer...

Francophiles were disappointed to learn that the awful Noddy is more popular in France than Babar or Asterix. Over there they apparently cal...

This is the Estonian for "hello". My son, just back from a few days in the capital, Tallinn, reports that it is a lovely town and ...

...And only one decent limerick: Il y avait une personne de Dijon Qui n’aimait pas trop la religion Il disait ‘Ma foi! Ils m’emmerdent tous ...

Most alleged tongue twisters are ridiculously easy, but I know very few people who can repeat, reasonably fast, this simple girl's name:...

We have had a spate of samurai films recently and they have inspired some ill-informed comments. One of the critics demonstrated his profoun...

It’s not quite true to say that when it comes to the capacity to acquire new mental skills it’s all downhill from the age of twelve, but it’...

Eligibility regulations for the "gov.uk" web domain state that "Registration is limited to UK government departments and agen...

When my wife checked in for her flight to Phoenix she was careful not to be carrying any scissors or nail files with her, but Security did n...