The Eskimos have 50 words for it; we have but one: snow, derived from the Old English ‘snaw’. And that, you would think, should rule out any ambiguity about a forecast of ‘heavy [...]
Tis the season of the satsuma, that Christmassy citrus delight that’s so easy to peel and fills the room with what 5th-century Chinese poet Liu Hsun described as a “fragrant mist”.
“I talk to the trees but they don’t listen to me.” So sang Clint Eastwood in Paint Your Wagon. It was the song that both began and ended his singing career, an optimistic little [...]
How much do you know about weevils? “How much do I want to know?” I hear you cry. OK, fair point. But wait. What if I told you that the weevils you think of when you think of weevils [...]
This bloke came up to me the other day and he said, a little smugly, “I’ve just finished reading the dictionary… ” “Wow!” I said. “Did you learn anything [...]
