Discussion
Who looks down on who?
Ok, the title is weird, and the grammar is poor, but try this. Look at your friends who are in couples. Check out their heights (I’m talking hetro pairs here). How many gals are taller than the guys? That’s right! I thought so! As close to zero as you can get. The occasional one who isn’t, really stands out (think Mr Speaker in Parliament, the charming John Bercow, with his delightful missus, Sally). I’ve surreptitiously surveyed several chums that I...
This is no damp squid: It’s the 30 most commonly used “eggcorns”
‘To be pacific, ‘an escape goat’ and ‘damp squid’ are the most misused phrases or sayings, according to new research. Commonly known as ‘eggcorns’, the phrases often mean something different to the original yet make some kind of sense. Someone may claim to be ‘lack toast and tolerant’ when they are lactose intolerant - rather than breadless and open-minded. Passing mustard rather than muster might lead to some odd glances, while a doggie-dog world sounds like a much friendlier place...
This is how long women spend thinking about what to wear for work
The average women spends FOUR months thinking about what to wear over her working lifetime, according to a new study. On a typical work day women will deliberate over their attire for approximately 14 minutes, which will be the equivalent of two and a half days a year. Over the average working lifetime of 47 years, that’s 119 days spent in front of the wardrobe. More than one third of women claim to feel pressured to look a certain way...
One in five Brits don’t know that Jesus was born on Christmas Day
One in five clueless Brits does not know that Jesus was born on Christmas Day, a study has found. Research revealed that - despite the prevalence of nativity plays and Christian teaching in schools - millions are still confused about why we celebrate Christmas. Almost one in 20 thought Jesus was born over Easter - the holiday which is actually held to mark his death and subsequent resurrection. Around one in 10 were unable to name Bethlehem as the town...
Jeremy Corbyn’s GQ cover is breaking the internet
Forget Kim Kardashian, Jeremy Corbyn's latest cover on GQ is about to break the internet. Black and white pictures of the Labour leader have been leaked and are already sending social media into a storm. Corbyn was revealed as the latest cover star of GQ today, but refused to be interviewed by Alastair Campbell for the men’s magazine. The editor, Dylan Jones, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he had to use an alternative interviewer, the senior commissioning editor...
Game: Can you avoid crashing the Brexit Bus
An addictive Brexit Bus game has been doing the rounds on social media with Brits challenged to keep the infamous bus on track as it navigates the ups and downs of the economy. The Leave campaign have been chastised for their referendum pledges that Brexit would deliver £350 million a week to the NHS. Philip Hammond put aside more money for Brexit than the NHS in the recent Budget. In a deeply ironic twist the NHS now has just £350 million to see...
Can you pass a British Citizenship test?
The British citizenship test was taken 125,925 times in 2016. Of those who sat it, 36 per cent failed. But how well would you fare? Also known as the "Life in the UK" test, this is one of the requirements for anyone seeking naturalisation as a British citizen, designed to prove that the applicant has a sufficient knowledge of British life and sufficient proficiency in the English language. It consists of 24 questions covering topics such as British values, history, traditions and everyday life. And...
Why Jeff Bezos is wasting his billions in space
By Paul Kwatz, author of Conscious Robots Recently, Jeff Bezos announced he’d be spending $1 billion of his Amazon fortune every year on his Blue Origin Space Rocket Company. But maybe he’s making the wrong decision. 20 years ago, his conscious mind wondered whether building the world’s biggest bookstore would give him pleasure, and the answer came back from his non-conscious mind “Yes, Jeff - if you can achieve that, you’re going to feel great.” And that worked, and Jeff...
The London City Gentleman: On the intricacies of death
My father died last week. I don’t mean that to sound too dramatic: he was approaching 70 and had suffered from cancer for a few years. That said, he’d been in remission, and until what proved to be the last week of his life, he was pretty healthy. His doctor was somewhat baffled by his wellbeing, but had advised him to keep doing what he was doing, which included a martini every day at about 5.00 pm. The end was...