The word ‘mulligan’ is new to me – but golfers everywhere will find it familiar. In golf a ‘mulligan’ is a shot where you swing at the ball, miss it completely, and then ask for the stroke not to count. (Sounds like my sort of golf!) But – the obvious question – why is it called a ‘mulligan’? The Historical Dictionary of Golfing Terms says the origin is ‘obscure’ – meaning, they don’t know, and they think nobody knows. One website says, ‘There are multiple theories, the most plausible of which involve golfers named Mulligan. What we can say for sure is that mulligan’s golf use… is fairly new.’ The same website goes on to add, ‘Mulligans are never allowed under the rules, but informally many golfers allow them (at least on the first tee).’ However, I think we can do better than that – with the aid of that linguistic powerhouse the Oxford English Dictionary. The great lexicographers at that mighty institution have settled the matter: they say the golfing term ‘mulligan’ comes from ‘the name of David B. Mulligan (1871–1954), Canadian-born hotelier and amateur golfer, who is said to have coined the term at the Winged Foot Golf Club, New York State, in the 1930s. ‘The Irish family name “Mulligan” came from a Gaelic name that meant (literally) ‘the grandson of the bald man.’

Barry Humphries’ re-definition: the brilliant Barry once provided a new definition of a familiar word. In Australia, he said, the word ‘foreplay’ means ‘Are you awake, love?’ (He was a genius with language.)