Ne regrette rien
“JE NE REGRETTE RIEN,” sang Edith Piaf plaintively. “Formidable,” she exclaimed when she first heard it, “this is the song I have been waiting for. It will be my biggest…
Author: Steve Caplin
The age problem, solved
METHUSELAH WAS THE OLDEST person in the bible, reaching the rather splendid age of 969. He’s otherwise only of interest for being Noah’s grandfather, and Noah obviously inherited his genes…
Noah’s dilemma
THE WORLD’S MOST CELEBRATED SHIPBUILDER certainly had his work cut out. Not only did he have to build a 50-cubit long boat, he also had to fill it with two…
The first Mrs Adam
ADAM AND EVE WERE, as everyone knows, the first happy couple. Except that they weren’t the first couple. That would be Adam and Lilith. Adam’s first wife doesn’t get a…
What’s the time?
A REASONABLY ATTRACTIVE retro-style clock in a Newmarket café. But can you figure out the time? With the hands exactly the same colour, shape and size as the structural bars…
Period drama
EVERY EPISODE of the period drama series Poirot is beautifully crafted. Every element, every piece of furniture, every prop, every location, are perfectly set in the 1930s world that Hercule Poirot inhabited….
Why don’t we zag zig?
YOU CAN LISTEN TO HIP HOP, but not hop hip. You can hear the pitter patter of tiny feet, but never the patter pitter. You can hear chit chat turning…
Use the taps
I FIRST CAME ACROSS THIS WATER COOLER at the BBC radio headquarters in London. It features two buttons, an LCD screen, and two taps. When you press one of the…
Mispronounciations
THAT’S A MISTAKE, of course. Most people know that the noun isn’t pronounciation, but pronunciation. And they’ll duly write in to Radio 4 in their hundreds every time they hear…
The perfect Eurostar font
IT’S NOT OFTEN THAT A CORPORATE entity such as Eurostar gets playful with typography. But this notice on their London St Pancras platform is a splendid choice of font. The…