Diction: a person’s way of pronouncing words Such a simplistic (and I do mean simplistic) definition of a word with so many shades of meaning. And one that is widely open to a plethora of subtle differences. Surely the emphasis should be less on the speaker’s  way of  pronunciation and much more on the clarity of what pours forth from their mouth. There are almost limitless ways of pronouncing a word. Factors include whether it is in the speaker’s native vocabulary plus their level of education, and hence, familiarity, with the word at issue. But no matter how much all… Continue reading

GET out and start walking. This is the advice continually given to sufferers from all manner of ills, mental and physical and everything in between. And by and large, lacing up the trainers and putting one foot in front of the other does seem to be part of the answer. Or at least an excellent way of making the world begin to seem a better place. Raynor Winn and her terminally ill husband, Moth, would certainly attest to that. Although they did rather take the idea to extremes when they stuffed minimal gear into rucksacks last used in their long… Continue reading