Your Letters
The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News front page tells me that "Global economy 'in danger zone'" and also asks, "Are we being too optimistic about the economy?" If being in the danger zone is the excessively optimistic position, I just don't want to know how bad things really are.
David Richerby, Liverpool, UK
I'm a big bloke and the knickers I'm wearing today are more than three years old. This is because there isn't one single pair of size XXL mens underpants in the whole of the Exeter branch of M&S. Neither are there any jeans with 40 inch waist and 33 inch inside leg (plenty with long legs and narrow waists, and lots with short legs with wide waist, but nothing in proportion). Now I'm going to get my coat - if I can find one the right size.
Paul Morris, Cheriton Fitzpaine, Devon
Regarding trouser sizes. Why can't we have a 33" waist? I'm not a 34" waist but sometimes a 32" waist is just a little too tight, more so after a lovely portion of chips, baked beans and gravy. Of course there are those elastic waist pants.
Mike, Southport, UK
CJ, Cambs (Monday letters): Yes, which is why Andrej Pejic is so successful.
Alexander Lewis Jones, Nottingham, UK
Paper Monitor - In today's i was a piece about possible disruptions to the Olympics - including "Flash-mob Morris events..." - the public should be told!
Lewis Graham, Hitchin
Josh (Monday letters), why don't you just say "tribute"?
Fee Lock, Hastings
Josh (Monday's letters), possibly they are actually using the French word "hommage", which (conveniently enough) means the same as humdrum English word you describe, but with added artiness, because it's French. I say this because I have hitherto only noticed that particular pronunciation used to indicate a work of art done as a tribute to the work of another, especially as an ironic or snarky way to imply that the expressions "copy" or "rip-off" might be more appropriate. Of course, there is always a danger with that kind of thing, that it gets picked up on by the pretentious and ignorant, and you create a monster that escapes its cage and goes on the rampage in everyday speech, driving people like you and Lucy Kellaway to distraction. I'll get my ouvert-cote.
Ray, Turku, Finland