Sir, – I enjoyed reading Conor Pope's piece "A year like no other: 40 phrases we never want to hear again" (April 5th).
One omission immediately jumped out at me. How many times over the past year was the phrase “error of judgment” called upon and paired off with apologies to get past situations that were anything but errors of judgment? – Yours, etc,
TOM TIERNAN,
Ennis,
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Co Clare.
Sir, – As an addendum to “40 phrases we never want to hear again”, it may be worth reflecting on what Sigmund Freud once remarked: “Much will be gained if we succeed in transforming your hysterical misery into common unhappiness.” – Yours, etc,
PAUL CLEMENTS,
Ravenhill,
Belfast.
Sir, – Conor Pope acutely observes the phrases of the pandemic. When I attend important meetings online, I occasionally turn on my virtual yellow hand to request the floor. When called on, I carefully extinguish the yellow hand and launch myself into a scintillating, erudite and brilliant observation on the matter under discussion. When I have finished, I glance at the tiles of fellow attendees, all waving and putting their fingers into their ears. The response to my scholarly contribution? “You’re on mute, Pat!” – Yours, etc,
Dr PATRICIA BARKER,
Sutton, Dublin 13.
Sir, – “And now in the studio to make sense of the figures is George Lee.” – Yours, etc,
C MURRAY,
Dublin 14.