A chara, – The 2024 Defence Forces Review brings to mind the 50,000-word novel Gadsby (1939), which uses no words containing the letter “E”. This is an example of a lipogram, restrained writing that idiosyncratically avoids certain letters or groups of letters.
The Defence Forces Review doesn’t quite achieve this, but a valiant effort has nevertheless been made to minimise use of the words “neutral” and “neutrality”.
In a report of 24,000 words, these two words are used a total of 21 times. As was to be expected in a report from a Government clearly not in love with neutrality, “Nato” fares better: it is mentioned 25 times. – Is mise,
DOMINIC CARROLL
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Ardfield,
Co Cork