Your letters
16:11 UK time, Monday, 26 February 2007
"People who use the wireless net show deeper engagement with cyberspace," says a study (). Perhaps I'm missing something obvious, but surely a simpler explanation of the study's findings is that those people who use the internet more are those people who are more likely to buy themselves a wireless system.
Jacob, London
In the conspiracy programme last night on the , it was repeatedly quoted that "no third party was involved". So who was the second party?
Kip, Norwich, UK
I watched The Conspiracy Files programme on Dr Kelly, and at the end, one of the conspiracy theorists recounted how Dr Kelly's wife had told her that she believed her husband had committed suicide. With a completely straight face, the conspiracy theorist said that people can believe passionately that something is the case, but that doesn't necessarily make it so.
Er, quite.
Isabella, Glasgow
Re, you say that the comic "has to cope with its 'predictions' coming to pass rather more quickly than expected". Surely their predictions were seven years later than expected?
Richard Lucas, Northampton, UK
Re 10 things: Less than 5% of cohabiting couples stay together for longer than 10 years - I take it married couples are excluded? Has anyone checked what percentage of cohabiting couples become married couples and stay together for longer than 10 years? Perhaps your 10 things should read “Less than 5% of couples who cohabit but don't marry stay together for longer than 10 years". No-one I know who has married recently hasn't cohabited first.
K, Edinburgh
Re How to Say: Babel. Jordan is right in that babble does indeed derive from Babel (Friday letters). However they do differ in pronunciation. Babel is Bay-buhl as there is only a single "b" in the middle of the word, and babble is bab-uhl as it carries a double "b". The general rule of grammar is, (but with many exceptions, like most rules) that a double consonant in the middle of a word - eg letter, batter, fitter - shortens the preceding vowel. I hope Jordan is relieved that the US version is not more appropriate after all.
Akilah, Chelmsford, England
Can the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Pronunciation Unit help with "mall", as seems to have migrated from the US as the preferred term for a shopping centre. I've heard ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ presenters pronounce it "maul" (as do Americans), which may be appropriate during the sale season but it makes my teeth grind to hear it.
Robin, Herts
Regarding your story , I have to indulge my predilection for preposterous pedantry and note that the phrase "Two of the new lakes are only exceeded in size by Lake Vostok" can never be true. Only one of the new lakes is only exceeded in size by Lake Vostok, the other lake is exceeded in size by Lake Vostok and the aforementioned lake as well. Does anyone have a more pedantic comment?
Peter Clarkson, Kingston, UK
We're moving back to the UK after 10 years in Perth. Has anything changed in that time?
Rachel, Perth, Australia
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