Interested in disinterested

Madam, - I refer to Hugh Linehan's article entitled "Losing our grasp of language" (Dec 12th)

Madam, - I refer to Hugh Linehan's article entitled "Losing our grasp of language" (Dec 12th). Many people seem to misunderstand the meaning of the word "disinterested".

They seem to think it is a more scholarly way of saying "uninterested." This is not the case.

Thirty years ago my English teacher told me that a good football referee would be disinterested in the game but if he was uninterested he would be a bad referee.

Disinterested means impartial. Uninterested means . . . uninterested.

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And you thought I wasn't listening all those years ago, Mr Hanly. - Yours, etc,

MICHAEL McGUIRE, Bright House, Speenogue, Burt, Co Donegal.