In a Word

How do you explain to a foreign national the meaning of the word ‘grand’, as we use it?

When it came to food, we lived in a very monochrome Ireland, spuds with everything, cabbage and carrots with most, plus meat or fish

When I joined this newspaper years ago, I announced: ‘I am Patsy and by this name shall I be known heretofore. Hear ye me!’ And, lo, so it has been

A coffee shop experience something of a trial - here is some advice to navigate those exotic menus

You might say that, by any objective standard, the current designation of ‘a generation’ has become absurd

A report has found that Irish 15-year-olds smoke less, drink less alcohol and exercise more than their European peers. This is disgraceful

Cork people believe they have it so good they are not bothered about making an impact on the national consciousness at all. To them, clearly, Cork is all

It is heartwarming to know so many people are thinking of me and ready to offer unexpected gifts

Those of us who admire Jonathan Swift, the contrary old weed, were the original Swifties

It may be English. but the Irish version of English can be confusing

‘Words are like leaves and where they most abound, much fruit of sense beneath is rarely found’

For instance, why ‘a murder of crows’? It seems too harsh. Or ‘an unkindness of ravens’?

Maybe I’m being too hard on golf, but I hate it

Good grammar can be seductive

‘Masculine’ contains within it the word ‘male’. Another is ‘chicken’ with ‘hen’ within, and ‘honourable’ with ‘noble’ within. Isn’t that thrilling?

You still have an awful lot of fans out there. They gave me an insight into how you probably felt that March day in the forum

‘Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or other places of entertainment. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure’

There was fury at an educational committee meeting in the 1930s about women training to enter the workforce

In a Word ... Leap Year

In a Word... Rubbish

In a Word... Puddle: Coming towards me was a happy little girl in her shiny new wellingtons with her happy young father. They were passing a puddle and she just jumped right into it

In a Word: Infamy

Scorpios can be ‘complicated, needy and just plain difficult to get along with’. Be careful out there!

In a Word... Demise: A relentless series of pub closures represents a fate worse than death for many. At least death is a conclusion

A letter sent to Hollywood executives in 1934 by a young New York man looking for a job as a screenwriter proves the English satirical poet was fallible

What is it about cats that gives them such innate, superior confidence?

Judging by the number of August birthdays in our family it would seem November is a favoured month for indulging the family passion

My grandparents fell in love, decided to get married secretly in the local church, went to a céilí and then returned to their homes, separately

Not many people know this but the Roscommon Sheep is utterly unique

The soldiers that some believed were best left unknown

Pity the high-profile person who may cross that certain threshold of public attention

In a Word: Briefs. The Men’s Underwear Index is seen as an indicator of the health of an economy

In a Word: The Virgin Mary Bar in Dublin has closed due to lack of interest

Most people think of Wordsworth when the words ‘poetry’ and ‘daffodils’ are linked, but 17th century Herrick was there first

I realised years ago that even a proficiency in Irish, English and the vernacular was nowhere near enough for communicating with Dubliners

On this first day of April, and along with Gratiano in The Merchant of Venice, let us play the Fool

Enjoying innumerable stiff drinks to the mark the passing of an unloved year

One of the great mangler’s of the King’s English is former taoiseach Bertie Ahern

I don’t approve, but am prepared to make exceptions

An increasingly common marvel