From The Spectator, 26 September 1914: [TO THE EDITOR OF THE ” SPECTATOR.”] SIR,—Devon recruiters are in despair at the raising of the standard of height to 5 ft. 6 in., for the average height of our West Country men is apparently low. To the non-military mind it seems difficult to understand why the man of
From The Spectator, 26 September 1914: [TO THE EDITOR of THE “SPECTATOR.”] Sir,—I am having put up in our parish church a brass on which is inscribed the names of all parishioners who are serving in the present war. A space will be left after each name in which the fortune of the parishioner can be
From The Spectator, 26 September 1914: One knew, of course, perfectly well that there was a very good feeling between men and officers in the British Army, and that there was a great deal of mutual respect and liking and good fellowship. What is very moving, however, is the belief that every soldier seems to
‘Frankly, the last 666 years have been hell.’
‘To make this interview more entertaining I would like you to take a breath of helium before answering the questions.’
‘That one looks nice and sturdy.’
‘Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains.’
Jamie Oliver Twist
‘Of course I’m not leaving you — these are your bags I’m packing.’
‘We try to engage young minds by providing things toddlers genuinely want to play with.’
'It's not the most exciting bucket list, darling.'
‘I’ll get the butler to watch Downton Abbey for us.’
‘I think you’re being briefed against.’
Never say never Sir: Dot Wordsworth (Mind your language, 20 September) quotes various telling usages of ‘never’ for rhetorical or theatrical effect. But she missed one of the earliest and spine-chilling best: the Declaration of Arbroath of 1320. Quite apart from including the first-known written statement of the old Scottish principle that kingship is essentially