Names
Mispronouncing names isn’t a ‘microaggression’
People can make a bewildering number of offensive transgressions these days: from using the wrong pronoun when addressing people to…
Travel ban
Why Pontins thinks I’m an ‘undesirable guest’
Letters
Nothing to fear Sir: Many of us await the day when we can travel abroad for much-anticipated holidays — but…
The Spectator’s Notes
‘Tencent Wykeham’ has a ring to it. It captures how easily British universities can be bought. It is the new…
Titles of courtesy
I agree with Charles Moore (The Spectator, 6 February) that it is a shame the Times is dropping its use…
The Spectator’s Notes
Some Leavers are perturbed that Lord Frost was suddenly stood down as the next National Security Adviser. This anxiety may…
Letters
SNP sophistry Sir: Andrew Wilson (‘Scot free’, 21 November) poses the question: ‘What if the case for independence was a…
Name dropping
The death of the surname
The Spectator’s Notes
‘No one can seriously deny that European integration brought an end to Franco-German conflict and has settled the German question…
The game of the name
How Wolf and Skylar pushed out John and Mary
Wear The Fox Hat looks innocent enough but try saying it in an Irish accent
President Lyndon B. Johnson’s image never quite recovered in many people’s view from the photograph of him picking up his…
Names
We reached peak Charlie in 2012, when 5,571 baby boys were given the name. There were only 4,642 last year.…
Barometer
No sex, please Several friends of the late Sir Edward Heath asserted that he could not be guilty of sexually…
Charlotte
It could have been much worse. Someone had pointed out that among the new baby’s ancestors was Queen Violant of…
Diary
I was once bundled into a police car in Palm Springs to explain why I didn’t have snow-tyres on my…
Grave pleasures
How to get the best out of visiting a cemetery
Letters
Why we joined Sir: I was astonished by the assertion made by Wyn Grant (Letters, 21 September) that ‘the postwar…
