Agreed on the first point, David, more of an annoyance than a full blown bullying.

I think I've heard it used more in the boastful sense as a noun, though.

I know Gander from 2 things: a) Nevil Shute's interesting and somewhat foreboding novel No Highway. I don't remember so much of it, but it does presage the overruling of science for political purposes we see now taking place. b) The operation to house diverted civilians, after airspace was closed fo...

I just found out the history of this word and it was quite interesting to me. Not sure if it's been done as search appears to be broken.

You're not friends with Nico Rosberg are you damoge?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nico_Rosberg

I wouldn't be surprised to be fair

@David

No

Yes, I use the second form daily in my job.

I'd probably go for the pithier 'Goebbels on LSD' as a suitable description for the 'briefing'. YMMV!

Apologies if my remark was taken as partisan. I considered it an obvious and unremarkable statement of fact, based on words I hear, and am honestly surprised it could be taken otherwise. I suppose when it's your system (it's not mine) it is likely to be perceived differently, though I would certainl...

"Why, Marilyn, that was simply the most stultiloquent speech I've heard in years!"

This is not a sentence anyone can honestly utter to any private citizens these days, given that most of us are bombarded with the speeches of the current US administration...

I can only assume that Wimpy survive by being cheapish and quickish and located where those properties bring some grudging footfall.

Might be used by my mum, or even me, with a hint of irony at it's archaic nature.

Interesting word history though...

Currently the most famous Villanelle I know of is the amazing Jody Cromer in the brilliant Killing Eve. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villanelle_(character) Well worth watching if you like cartoony assassin spy type things. Some of the most interesting dialogue and characterisation I've seen for a l...

I particularly like - in a cringey odontophobic way - the historical dentists sketches on a program my children enjoy, Horrible Histories.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azOy1EixtuM

At least you can be glad to have not been around in such benighted times. That's probably one of the nicest ones

Nice, I have been thinking now may a good time to revive my ambition to read War and Peace (for some reason I've only ever read Anna Karenina). On the disposal issue, I find it strange to even bother with a preference between feeding worms and incineration. But then I have always regarded religion a...

Common enough to get it's own monicker, fear of dentists is odontophobia.