Tropaeolum (n): A genus of plants, including the nasturtium, the literal meaning of which is 'nose-twister'.

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Geoluhread (n): An Old English word once used to refer to the colour orange.

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Squidgy (adj): Soft, sticky or spongy material – a word often applied to food, and especially to cake.

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Hindberry (proper noun): An archaic name for the raspberry.

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Biggin (n) An archaic word for a building.

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Roadworks (n): Repairs or improvements to a section of the highway, sometimes resulting in its partial or complete closure.

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Dūcan (verb, Old English): To dive, from which we get our modern word for the duck.

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Anthropomorphism (n): The practice of ascribing human attributes and characteristics to inanimate objects or animals.

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Necessarium (n): Euphemism for a public lavatory; makeshift, communal or portable toilet.

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Apostrophe: An English punctuation mark used either to signal a contraction or as an indicator of the possessive – and not for any other purpose.

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Mountjoy (n): May refer to a hamlet in County Tyrone, a castle in Magheralamfield, a closed prison in County Dublin, Lord Deputy of Ireland, a hereditary title given to the men of two families, an American politician from California or a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe.

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“I support the correctly used apostrophe with that kind of fierce emotional investment in an irrelevance that most people reserve for football” – David Mitchell.

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With great regret I have decided that, for the first time in five years, I won’t be taking part in NaNoWriMo this year.

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Cat, slumped over laptop keyboard: “Writers blox – I has it”

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A quick post to sing the praises of Daily Lit - a service which sends you books in instalments, to help you fit them into your busy schedule.

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This, from Joe Kinnear’s inaugural and quite likely only press conference as caretaker manager of beleagured Newcastle United Football Club, is priceless. Nothing like clearing the air from the outset.

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No, not the title of a spam email, but what the words and graphics tool Wordle makes of the categories of this blog.

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It’s very hard to understand why parents would saddle their child with a ridiculous name. And, in New Zealand, a judge agrees. Read this and boggle.

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Today The Independent visits Dorset where, in among all the ‘piddles’ that have discreetly been converted to ‘puddles’ is, apparently this gem. What is it with this county and its lavatorial associations?

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Here’s Neil Gaiman’s bid for funniest man in the world, apropos of David Tennant’s decision to temporarily hang up his trenchcoat and blue suit and play Hamlet.

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