Your Letters
15:01 UK time, Thursday, 18 January 2007
Re: The racism row. I remember in a previous series, one contestant was being abused for having red hair. I was taunted, bullied and battered at school for the same thing. But we redheads are not a race so we get no protection. So-called comedians are free to go on TV and make vile jokes about us. If they replaced the word "ginger" with "black" or "irish" their careers would be over. I get verbally abused by strangers on the street. People are stupid, and ignorant, but to say "racism = bad, other abuse = fine" is pathetic.
Rebecca, Cambridge
About the only good news to come out of the endless stories is that, despite all the publicity, nearly 93% of the British population still chose not to watch the last episode.
Valerie, Wigan, UK
Regarding the story. I’m male aged 53 and have shaved my underarms for as long as I can remember. It seems a very logical thing to do for reasons of hygiene as well as removing unsightly hair. I don’t shave my arms and legs because there doesn’t seem to be any point, but I do keep intimate areas shaved, again for reasons of hygiene. Does anyone know what percentage of men shave underarms?
Ian
Re: Handbags and their contents. The best thing to carry is a primed mouse trap to stop men trying to find out what you have in there.
Vanetia, Dartmouth, Devon
Never mind men not having a clue about the contents of a woman's handbag, Chadra, I'm a woman and I was pretty baffled at the contents of yours: a piece of hollow bone and a spare pair of kickers?? I won't ask...
Sue, London
Tim McMahon is right, all must defer to Mary Poppins . But not to be pernickety (oh, who am I kidding), technically what she carries is in fact a carpet bag. Whatever happened to them?
Suz, Southend
Tim, apologies for being a pedant, but Mary Poppins carried a carpet bag rather than a handbag. It was, however, smaller than most of today's women's handbags.
Basil Long, Newark, Notts
tO SAM. tHERE'S A GREAT WAY TO AVOID THIS - IT'S CALLED LOOKING AT THE SCREEN!
oOPS!!
Andrew, Eastbourne
Patsy, Sheffield: I currently have the worst song ever in my head it is 'Snow' with Informer - "a leaky boom boom now". Is there any way i can download it to my generic mP3 player and get it out of my head?
Steve Elsworth, nantwich
I too often get random songs stuck in my head, rather like a renegade radio station. Yesterday it was La Cucaracha. But at least i know where it came from - a generous work colleague wanting to share her pain.
Sarah, Edinburgh
Stoo - I think the phrase you are looking for is In Loco Parentis.
Rob McKay, Banbury, UK
Re: Stoo, the phrase you are looking for is "Reverting to Type"
Caroline, Southend, UK
To Stoo, I think the word you are looking for is postaegism.
Nick Rikker, Barcelona, Spain
How come every time I turn on the television there is a reality program featuring celebs. I now live in fear that one day I will switch on my PC, open the MM section and find Celebrity Caption Competion or PunoStararama
Tony Doyle, Holmes Chapel, Cheshire
Ahh, another clue... Paper Monitor says "go figure".. could s/he be, no surely not, American?
Fran, UK
The 
