This month’s irritants

There is no such thing as a ‘demographic’. It is not a noun. It is an adjective, requiring a noun to give it meaning, like most other words ending in ‘ic’, such as graphic, oceanic, frenetic. Our village magazine recently referred to the population here as being ‘an ageing demographic’, when it really meant there was a demographic trend in the community to the more aged members.

Peter C Jinks

I am annoyed by the use of the word ‘partially’ when ‘partly’ is what is meant. Partial is the opposite of impartial.

Arnold Bradbury

BBC commentators on the Olympic Games should not meddle with the English language. Medal is a noun only – it is not a verb. Successful competitors don’t medal, they are awarded medals.

Malcolm Sutherland

I have never heard a newsreader pronounce the word ‘abseil’ correctly. They all pronounce it absale. The word is German and comes from ‘ab’, which means down, and ‘seil’, which means rope. It is pronounced abzile.

Freddie Anderson

‘The financial director of XYZ plc earned £10.5 million last year’. No – that wasn’t what he ‘earned’, that was simply the unrealistic sum he was paid.

Keith Pleasant

On BBC radio this evening: ‘Next week such-and-such an orchestra will be performing Brahms’s Second Symphony.’ For heaven’s sake, it’s Brahms’ Second Symphony. Even my spell-checker threw it out. What is the world coming to?

Derek Brundish