IF I recall, a previous contributor to the Letters Pages railed against the ubiquitous use of the prefix "So", commonly used by politicians and experts alike, and I could not agree more; it has reached epidemic proportions and needs to be halted by way of emergency legislation and (I jest) fixed penalty fines for the first offence, custodial sentences thereafter.
One of the many unintended consequences of Covid-19 is the highly infectious role that language is playing throughout the crisis, a linguistic pandemic sweeping the country, and, like the virus itself, there appears no known cure.
On a par with "So" is the schmaltzy, saccharine phrase, "loved ones", deployed hundreds of times every day across broadcast outlets, 14 times I counted on a single recent News at 10 bulletin.
Given the state of families in 21st century Britain – 15 per cent of children are said to live in single-parent/broken homes and an estimated 1.5 million women may be living in abusive relationships in 2019, there may not be quite as much of that "love" in evidence as the cloying "loved ones" cliché might suggest.
What on earth is wrong with a less ambiguous and more literal, accurate description, such as "close family and friends"?
Meanwhile, "problems" appear either to have mysteriously disappeared, or all been solved, replaced by the less judgmental and censorious word, "challenges", whilst "solutions" remain as thin on the ground as ever.
Alex Orr (Letters, 16th April) is indeed correct, questioning the cliché "we’re all in this together", although in the real world, absolutely true, in the murky, manipulative world of Westminster politics, a clear them-and-us divide exists.
For me, however, whilst such linguistic proclivities are little more than relatively irksome trivialities, one recent phrase used – deliberately I suspect – by hardline Home Secretary Priti Patel during her only release from captivity to date should have us all afraid, very afraid.
On numerous occasions during her recent No 10 presentation and subsequent responses to questions – such as they were – she referred routinely to "law enforcement".
Last time I checked, that’s something those gun-toting cops undertake in the United States; here in the UK, we do policing "by consent" and as we look ahead to the "new normal", society must move to prevent the strident, command-and-control language deployed by Ms Patel taking root and becoming a reality here in the UK.
Mike Wilson, Longniddry.
Mary Barbour on a pedestal
IT was good to see a large photograph of Mary Barbour in today’s issue (";Objects celebrated more than women'", The Herald, April 17), showing her as one of only four inspirational women who have a plaque in their honour in Glasgow. But I wonder which plaque they mean, for there are two – One inside the Pearce Institute, and the other above a close in Linthouse, placed there by Linthouse Housing Association.
But not only that. Can Historic Environment Scotland really be unaware that there stands a statue showing her leading rent strikers, placed outside Govan Cross Underground station two years ago? It is there because of huge public support for raising the money to do it, largely in Glasgow but far afield as well. There has been coverage on television, notably by Jeremy Paxman and Michael Portillo, demonstrating that admiration for her achievements is more widely recognised than in Scotland alone. People have been gathering at that statue, finding her inspirational in their struggles against injustice. It will be there for a long, long time, doing exactly what we hoped.
Maria Fyfe (Chair, Remember Mary Barbour Association), Glasgow G12.
What's 3ft between friends?
R RUSSELL Smith’s letter (April 16) about the sad demise of golfer Doug Sanders's sad demise opened an old wound for me. As a young engineering apprentice in 1970 I was encouraged by my journeymen cohorts to place a bet on The Open. Having met the bold and bright Doug at Hoylake I duly placed £1 at 66/1 to win. I was earning £8 a week.
Needless to say, I was pretty upset when Doug missed but I forgave him, never really gambled again and in his honour regularly missed 3ft putts thereafter.
Ian McNair, Cellardyke.
Testing times ahead?
SOME possible exam howlers of the future: Boris Johnson invented Corn Virus on his farm at Checkers, England. He made it free on the point of entry. He had a baby and a dog called Wee Han who gave him the idea. He liked to visit Fife and shake hands with people.
He was succeeded by Rab Cummings who kept thousands of people in houses. He tested them later.
Any more?
Murdo Macleod, Glenrothes.
Haud on to this memory
MY laugh-out-loud memory of a Bud Neill cartoon (“Bud Neill: Yaffayat? Whityatyaffa?”, The Herald, April 13, and Letters, April 15): It was 1957. Lew Hoad had just won his second Wimbledon final.
Two beehived beauties at the tennis net, one brandishing her racquet. “Here’s hoo Hoad hauds his,” she advises.
Margaret McIntyre, Kilbarchan.
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