Sir, – Clive Carroll (Letters, April 21st) asks who came up with “cocooning” in its present usage. This term was first used in the modern sense in 1981 by the trend forecaster and author, Faith Popcorn.
While Popcorn was prescient in this forecast, her prediction that a cultural trend toward more physical contact would necessitate “mechanised hugging booths” is unlikely to be fulfilled in the foreseeable future. – Yours, etc,
Dr JOHN DOHERTY,
Gaoth Dobhair,
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Co Dhún na nGall.