Irritable Vowel Syndrome

All Right, So There’s A Consonant As Well

Beware the printer’s devil. Embarrassing misprints crop up when you least expect them. Fellow blogger Mur38, who writes A Clockwork Blancmange, told me recently that he has a family connection with the RAF’s famous 617 Squadron, The Dam Busters. His grandfather was an aircraft electrician on the squadron and Mur actually has a framed squadron photograph handed down through the family.

While I marvelled at the story, I was reminded of something I read years ago. At a post-World War II reunion dinner, members of the elite unit and their guests were ushered into the main dining area – where the specially-printed menus proclaimed `The Damn Busters’.

And then there was the famous incident involved England spin bowler Ashley Giles, who retired from Test cricket at just 34. Merchandise produced for his testimonial dinner was unveiled with great pomp and ceremony. Unfortunately, instead of saying "Ashley Giles, King of Spin" it said "Ashley Giles, King of Spain".