In a Word

In a Word ... November

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

In a Word... Cat

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

In a Word ... Karma

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

In a Word ... Clandestine

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

In a Word ... Somme

The soldiers that some believed were best left unknown

In a Word ... Fame

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

In a Word ... Daffodil

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

In a Word... Dublinese

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

In a Word...Fool

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

In a Word... Wake

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

In a Word ... Malapropism

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

In a Word... murder

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

In a Word... Granny

An increasingly common marvel

In a Word... Seduction

Timing is quite something

In a Word... Suffragette

Putting Beauty Men in their place

In a Word... Te Deum

A good date guide, not necessarily a guide to good dates

In a Word ... weight

Weight, and its deceptions

In a Word ... Sin

People used talk of little else

In a Word... Cool

Stay cool forever. Come to Ireland

In a Word . . . hell

Hell

In a Word...

Weary

In a Word . . . Grand

It is not always easy being green when communicating with the neighbours

In a Word . . . May

The beloved month is much celebrated, including by Christy Moore in song

In a Word... phone

Humankind lived for millenniums without the phone – I have to remind myself

In a Word ... Complaint

A story about Brendan Behan’s lighthouse painting days is amusing enough to be true

In a Word. . . Hope

In turbulent times it is necessary to remember that hope is the greatest virtue

In a Word . . . Pest

I learned to enjoy most people when they are a bit jarred

In a Word ... Radio

It was the 1980s and we pirate broadcasters wanted to free Ireland’s regional accents

In a Word . . .Time

Spring into summer as clocks go forward an hour

In a Word.... gratitude

....gratitude

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