Your comments and questions:

---

Q: Marg asks: "What does ‘when it rains it pours’ mean?"

A:   The expression "when it rains, it pours" — famous for its spells of rain. While it is not entirely clear when this informal saying was first used, it appeared in print in as early as the late eighteenth century.  The phrase is typically used to describe unpleasant or even catastrophic events but may also be used to describe neutral events like a sudden busy spell at work, or even a succession of unexpected positive events. Because rain is typically seen as a nuisance, however, "when it rains, it pours" typically has a negative connotation and it is much rarer to see the expression used with a positive meaning. 

Q:  Recently I came across the word ‘Kakistocracy’. The Oxford dictionary says: government by the least suitable or competent citizens of a state. As the risk of being political in my honest opinion that seems to be what Australia has at the moment. This is a new word to me so what is its history please. Cheers, Noel

A: It first appeared in English in 1644. It comes from the Greek word kakistos meaning 'the worst.'  The word seems to have been coined by a preacher in Oxford (clearly a classical scholar) in a sermon preached on 9 August 1644 -- in the university church.

Q:  I just gave an online review for some workbooks, in which I said, "they are comfortable, to boot". Where did I get the 'to boot' saying from? David

A: Not from footwear! But from a very old Germanic source word meaning "to the good, to advantage" -- so this and the footwear are homonyms (written and said the same, but distinct and different words).

Q: Michael writes: "Heard this corker today and wondered if it also was Aussie (hoping so) - 'yank my chain'."

A: Sorry. It appears to be an American invention. The Oxford says it means: 'to tease or trick a person, usually by telling a lie; to antagonize or annoy a person.' It's recorded from 1975 (the year that Malcolm Fraser was yanking Gough Whitlam's chain!)

Q: Mal asks: "Is there a W in rack and ruin? Should it be wrack and ruin?"

A: Yes, the W spelling is correct. Wrack (with the W) goes back to old English and is related to the more familiar word 'wreck' (both in origin and meaning). So "wrack and ruin" makes perfect sense -- it means 'wrecked and ruined.'

Q:  Caterwauling -- I can remember my mum in England if there was a singer she did not like on the BBC. This is what she called them. Sylvia

A: Yes, it does come from the howling of cats on heat!

Q:  Why is Jay Walking called Jay Walking? Stephen

A: It means walking like a "bird brain" (i.e. dangerously) across the road. From the common American bird, the blue jay.

Q:  Hi Kel, do you know the origins of sayings "Tickled pink" "Bob's your uncle" and "Laughingstock" sorry for the multiple questions. Regards Ray 

A: "Tickled pink" -- "tickled" has from the earliest times (1300s) had the figurative meaning of 'pleased; 'tickled pink' is only recorded from 1922 meaning "delighted" apparently from the notion of tickling a baby until it turns pink from giggling. "Bob's your uncle" -- no one knows. Possibly from British politician Arthur Balfour who got positions because his uncle Lord (Robert) Salisbury was prime minister. "Laughingstock" -- from the old punishment of being locked in the stocks and mocked by passers-by.

Q:  Hi Kel … a suggestion: ENNUI and its pronunciation. Love your words. Phil

A: The Oxford says that although the word has been fully naturalized, the pronunciation has not been anglicized.  Hence the only acceptable pronunciation is on-WEE. 

Q:  Hi Kel, I’d like the true meaning of the word “MYSOGYNIST” as it seems to get thrown around by lots of angry people, (commencing with Julia Gillard in reference to Tony Abbot) who I’m sure have no idea of it’s actual meaning, or from where it originated. So next time, as a 61-year-old bloke with English, Danish, Scottish and Irish ancestry gets labeled by a cranky “woman” because I don’t agree with their stance or ideology, I can throw it back at her knowing that I understand fully the meaning of the word. Cheerio, Graeme 

A: 'Misogynist' is recorded from 1620 meaning "A person who hates, dislikes, or is prejudiced against women." From a couple Greek source words. "Miso-" means (in Greek) dislike of.

Q:  I nominate “biannual” to the Banished Word 2025 list. Because “semiannual” means twice-a-year, and “biennial” means every other year, I propose that we banish “biannual” from our lexicon, because it can mean either definition and therefore has become entirely useless by obscuring the intent of anyone using it.  Ray

A: The meaning of 'biannual' (like 'bimonthly') is so uncertain it should never be used. 

Q:  Hi Kel, I would like to the difference between ‘gifts’ and ‘presents’ please. What would be the correct way of using these words. Also, what is the correct way of using ‘commiserations’ and ‘condolences’? Thank you, David

A: "Gift" (a possession freely changing hands) goes back to Old English (hence a Germanic words); "present' (in this sense) is the Norman-French equivalent (brought in by William the Conqueror). An example of English having two words for the same thing, because our combined Germanic/Latin (via French) heritage. Strictly speaking 'to commiserate' means to share the feelings of another, and 'to condole' means to grieve with another -- so no real difference.

Q: Re: banished words -- I believe the term ‘too easy” should be added. From my experience, as an employer, whenever someone uses that term, my radar goes up a level or two! More often than not, they let you down, because nothing is ‘too easy’, if you want it done right! Cheers, Wayne

A: Good one!

Q:  Hi Kel, here are the words I would like banished... Landed - as in "dropped"; Shipped - when most stuff goes by air; No-brainer; Heads-up; Learning curve; Speaking "to" instead of talking "about" something; In the (whatever) Space (e.g. Are NASA involved in the Space space?; and finally, surely it's time for Awesome to bite the dust unless we're talking about the Grand Canyon or the Pyramids of Gaza? Martyn 

A: I like your list.

Q:  TAKEN OUT.  No-one wins anything any more. The top prize, game, title, whatever, is always “taken out”. DECIMATED. Instead of annihilated,  massacred,  eliminated etc. What happened to the other 90%? Don’t let me get started! Cheers, Don 

A: Good additions.

Q:  What is the origin of jackpot? Thanks, John

A: Originally "jackpot" came from draw poker and meant: "a pot or pool which accumulates until one of the players can open the betting with a pair of jacks or better." 

Q:  Following Sam Konstas’s debut at the MCG, I heard a sports presenter describe his innings as swashbuckling. I just wonder where the word originated. I tend to associate it with pirates and Zorro. Presumably in this instance, he was suggesting that the bat was being wielded like a sword. Aileen

A: A 'swashbuckler' is literally one who makes a noise by striking his own or his opponent's shield with his sword. (The shield was called a 'buckler' -- from a French source word meaning a small, round shield.) Hence 'swashbuckler' became the label applied to a swaggering hero.

Q:   I have been hearing about the word Neocon I don’t really understand what it means can you help. Michael

A: 'Neo-' (or 'new') conservatives are an American phenomenon. The OED dates the word the 1979. Mostly, 'neo-cons' were people who turned away from a Democratic Party they were becoming disenchanted with, towards more conservative views. These were mainly in foreign affairs (neocons supported a more aggressive American role in world affairs, favoured military incursions and what they called 'nation building'). In economics they supported free market forces but were more comfortable with government regulation and intervention than classic conservatives. 

Q:  Hi Kel, I know you feature portmanteaus from time to time, so I thought you would like to consider a real Aussie one - Synroc, the key to Australia's nuclear waste disposal. I managed to crack a letter in The Australian today writing about it. However, I do admit a typo in the date. The technology was invented in 1978, not 1977 as I wrote. Merry Christmas and thanks for all the words. Thomas.

A: Yes, synroc will become very topical in the nuclear debate. I should write it up soon.

Q:  Regarding Zipf's Law, it would have to based on written language rather than the spoken word otherwise filler words such as "um", "arh" and "like", and much of what Albo has to say, would trump "the" as the most frequently used word. How does this law apply to the languages which do not have definite and indefinite articles? Robert.

A: Very true, the grunts of spoken language are not included. And the list of top ten words would be different for a language without articles. 

Q:  What do these sayings mean? (1) "come hell or high water" (2) "by hook or by crook'
"trip the light fantastic" (3) (Love your segments on Credlin!! Cheers, Kaye 

A: (1) despite all obstacles. (2) in any way it's possible, (3) dancing.

Q:  I know the word 'feckless', but is there such a word as 'feckful'? Simon.

A: 'Feck' seems to be the aphetic (or shortened) form of "effect". So, to be 'feckless' is to be 'without effect.' However, the opposite seems not to exist.

Q:  Where did the expression “to be a monkey’s uncle” originate. Presumably something to do with evolution and being ridiculous, but why an uncle and not a monkey’s father, sister, cousin or whatever. Thank you, Aileen 

A:  'Monkey's uncle' seems to be a nonsense expression from the 1920s. Perhaps it was intended as a joke reference to Darwin, but why 'uncle' is unclear. 

Q:  Next week many people will tuck in or will have tuckered into their Christmas tucker, afterwards leaving many tuckered out, at least in rural areas where a reputation for providing good tucker is essential if one hopes to be able to get a team of shearers turning up during a busy shearing season, as Henry Lawson wrote about. or guests for Christmas. Regards, John

A:  'Tucker' meaning food, is an Australian expression from 1833.  

Q:  Hi Kel, the word factions fascinates me, particularly political factions. Is it fair to say that both the LNP and Labor parties have left, moderate and right factions, plus far left and far right components as well? I wonder if many voters actually know and understand how factions work?

Thanks, Steve

A: The word came into English from French in the early 16th century meaning (originally) a dissenting group within a larger group. Nowadays the factions are all powerful in the Labor Party because of the 'show and tell' rule -- when a faction member votes by "secret ballot" in the party room they are required to show their vote to the faction leader before they put the slip of paper into the ballot box. And, yes, there are are both left and right factions in Labor and in the Libs. The word 'moderate' is used by the left faction in the Libs. I don't think there's any group called 'moderate' in Labor.

Q:  Hi Kel, can you please give me more information on the word “Kristallnacht” latest word in the war in Israel.  Thank you, Nyrel

A: “Kristallnacht” is a German word for the night of November 9–10, 1938, when German Nazis attacked Jewish persons and property. The name Kristallnacht refers to the litter of broken glass left in the streets after these pogroms. The violence continued during the day of November 10, and in some places acts of violence continued for several more days. 

Q:  Dear Kel, I don’t know whether you have previously attempted this, and it would have taken courage, namely, to explain the profound differences in etymology and meaning of these two words and how ridiculous it is as a matter of logic for politicians to lump them together. I think philosophers and logicians would call it a category error. Kind regards, Michael 

A: Good idea. I'll tackle this in a future column

Q:  Hi Kel, I have another one for you. " Guernsey " or " Jersey " for a football shirt? which is correct for all codes? Cheers mate, ....... Noel 

A: Both names come from the names of English Channel Islands and are exact synonyms. Both date from the early 1800s. I have only ever heard guernsey used in all codes of football. 

Q:  Hi Kel, could you please advise if the word sussed is just a shortened down version of suspected, and if so when and where did it come into usage? Thanks. John

A: Yes, it is a contraction of the verb 'to suspect'. It started as British police and criminal slang around 1953.

Q:  Hi Kel, when referring to things that annoy us, where did “grinds my gears” and “sets my teeth on edge” originate? Thanks heaps, Kindest regards, Connie  

A: (1) "what really grinds my gears" is an American colloquialism that means "to irritate" and comes from the griding of gears in a manual car (which irritates most people). (2) "Sets teeth on edge" comes from the Bible. The Prophet Jeremiah wrote: "The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge."  

Q: Hi Kel, I found this one while looking for interesting trivia:

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia.

Apparently, it means the fear of long words! According to the source, it was first used by the Roman poet Horace to criticise writers that use long words! I look forward to your reply, although I'm sure this one has crossed your desk before. Cheers, David

A: No, you are the first to draw this to my attention. No major dictionary has yet accepted it as a real word. The Collins Dictionary have it in their list of 'suggested new words' but it is yet to make it into the big book. According to the Collins it was only proposed in September of this year. And, somehow, I can't imagine this one catching on! Horace certainly did not coin this word! The word he coined was 'sesquipedalian' meaning a long word (literally in Latin a word that is a foot and a half long). The 'hippopo-' bit that's been added at the front probably comes from 'hippopotamus'. Unfortunately, that word comes from Greek and means 'horse' (nothing to do with long words). The '-montros-' part in the middle probably comes from 'monstrous' which in turn comes from a Latin expression meaning 'strange, unnatural.' So, it is not a well-formed word (even as a jokey word it doesn't quite work).

Q:  Hi Kel, where did the phrase " the straw that broke the camel's back " come from? Thanks, John

A:  It means (as you know) that last small element that adds to the accumulation of difficulties and ends everything. It is a vivid image, as it was always meant to be. The earliest known version of the expression comes in a debate on causality by Thomas Hobbes and John Bramhall in the mid 1600s. 

Q:  I can remember that in the old western movies the term "ornery critter" seemed to be used in reference to badly behaved animals. I am guessing at the spelling here. Can you explain the origin of this term please? Robert

A:  "ornery" is a dialect corruption of 'ordinary' and is used in the sense of 'mean, difficult, cantankerous' -- "critter" is a corruption of 'creature' and can apply to man or beast. 

Q:  Kel! What is the difference between having "Talks" with a person or group! Having "Discussions" with a person or group! Having "Dialogue" with a person or group! The later seems to have become a favourite of Albo and the Labor Party in general? Rob.

A: 'Talks' is the broader word that covers all these different ways of thinking about what we are doing when we talk. 'Discussion' was originally the spoken investigation of a topic; 'dialogue' was originally a literary term for the exchange between two or more characters. Over the years the distinctions have been lost, and the meanings have blurred. 

Q:  And what is “tutti frutti” (another American product). Something shared by US children of the last 100 years, and a song? Doug

A: Recorded in America from 1811 meaning a confection of mixed fruits. It comes from an Italian expression meaning 'all the fruits.' 

Q:  The reviewer of Sally Rooney's novel 'Intermezzo' (Spectator 28 Sept. 2024) states Rooney does not use speech marks. What is she talking about? Is she referring to what I was taught were quotation marks or inverted commas? And when did this change take place? It also appears Rooney dislikes verbs. Claire.

A: It can only mean inverted commas. I'll hunt out my copy of the review and have a look.

Q:  Hi Kel, LOVE your work! Here's a couple for you. (1) "At sixes and sevens" (2) "Dressed up to the nines" (3) I know what this actually translates as but many of your viewer won't. Mainly heard from African/Americans: "Land o' Goshen". Cheers, Rob 

A: (1) "sixes and seven" -- we can’t be absolutely sure of where the phrase comes from, but the most probable explanation is that it arose out of an old game of dice called hazard, in which one’s chances of winning were controlled by a set of rather arbitrary and complicated rules. It is thought that the expression was originally to set on cinque and sice (from the French numerals for five and six). These were apparently the riskiest numbers to shoot for (“to set on”) and anyone who tried for them was considered careless or confused. Later, the number words shifted to their modern values as a result of folk etymology among individuals who knew no French and misheard the words.  (2) "dressed up to the nines" -- is a corruption of an earlier expression "dressed up to thine eyes" (meaning dressed up from your shoes to eyebrows"). The "N" was detached from 'thine' and attached to beginning of 'eyes" giving us our modern expression. (3) "Land o' Goshen" is a mild exclamation of surprise, alarm, dismay, annoyance, or exasperation. In the Bible, Goshen was the region in Egypt inhabited by the Israelites until the Exodus. Primarily heard in US. Land o' Goshen, look at the time! How is it nearly midnight already? 

Q:  Where does the phrase "Woe betide" come from and what is its meaning? Vicki

A: It's recorded from 1390.  "Woe betide you" originally meant: "may evil or misfortune happen to you"; in later use this was weakened to mean, "you will get into trouble if....". The word 'woe' originally meant 'grief' and 'betide' originally meant to happen or to befall.

Q:  Hi Kel, where do we get the expression ’gung-ho’ from? I seem to say this a lot. Cheers, Adam

A: 'Gung-ho' is a slogan adopted in the Second World War by the United States Marines under General Evan Carlson; hence it means: enthusiastic, eager, zealous. It comes from an older Chinese expression kung ho which means 'work together.' 

Q: Terence writes that with the triumph of Trump the expression 'manifest destiny' is making a comeback. Where, he asks, does it come from?

A: 'Manifest destiny' is first recorded from 1845 (yes, in America). When it was coined, it first meant: "The doctrine or belief that the expansion of the United States throughout the American continents was both justified and inevitable." For some years Canada was thought to be struggling against America's 'manifest destiny.' Post WWII it took on a broader meaning of America's responsibility to lead the free world. 

Q:  What is the origin of swotting? (Meaning studying hard.) Always enjoy your spot with Peta. Regards, John

A: It's a dialectical variation on 'sweat" -- recorded from 1850.   The term originated at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, in the use on one occasion of the expression ‘It makes one swot’ (= sweat) by the Scottish professor of mathematics, William Wallace. 

Q:  A word I heard on Sky is "pogrom" -- I have never heard it's exact meaning explained. Peter 

A: 'Pogrom' means an organized massacre aimed at the destruction or annihilation of a body or class of people, esp. one conducted against Jewish people. 'Pogrom' means 'destruction' and comes from Yiddish. (Recorded from 1889)

Q:  Hi Kel, reading a novel I came across the burglar using a "jimmy" to open a door. In all my years I have only known it as a 'jemmy" What is going on? Cheers, John

A: The word is recorded from 1811. It means a short crowbar used by thieves (generally made in sections that screw together, so it can be easily concealed). 'Jemmy' is an old nickname for anyone called "James" -- so housebreakers were giving their tools of trade personal names.

Q:  Hi Kel, there are ads everywhere today for " Black Friday " sales. I must confess to being totally ignorant as to what this is. Please enlighten me. John

A: 'Black Friday' is American and is the name given to the day after Thanksgiving, which traditionally marks the start of the Christmas shopping season. The name was coined in 1960 by the police chief in Philadelphia because of the massive traffic congestion on that day. 

Q:  What are the contextual origins of the words: slip, gully, point & silly, as terms used to describe fielding positions in cricket, please? Thanks, Louise 

A: "gully" is the offside position slightly behind the line of the batsman's wicket. The name comes from the more general meaning of "gully" suggesting a narrow channel between point and the slips.

"slip" the person fielding at slip between the wicket keeper and gully is quired to catch "slips off the bat''--balls which glance off the bat.

"silly" a position close to the batsman, thought of as a 'silly' (dangerous) place to stand. 

"point" a fairly close-in offside position, originally described as being close to the 'point of the bat.'

Q:  Hi Kel, Peta Credlin used an interesting word in her program last night- boondoggle. Could you please help out with meaning and origin. Thanks very much, Sue 

A: 'Boondoggle' these days means 'a trivial or unnecessary undertaking' (particularly one which wastes money). It seems to have appeared in print (around 1929) as the name for a woven leather lanyard worn by boy scouts. In 1935 The New York Times claimed that the word 'boondoggle' had been coined out of the blue by an Eagle Scout named Robert H. Link. However, there is a story that it actually began on ranches in the Old West. The story says that during periods of inactivity cowboys would sit around the ranch with a knife and a scrap of leather making decorative but useless things -- to which they gave the name of 'boondoggles' (coined as a nonsense name for a nonsense activity). 

Q:  I wish to submit two words for consideration in your weekly chat with Peta Credlin. The first word is Blonk I used this a conversation re selling shares I can’t sell them all "blonk" as it will cost too much in capital gains. The second word is "Twerp" which was an expression in my younger days of someone who was being a pest Thank you Ian 

A: (1) None of the recorded meanings of different "blonk" words explain your usage. Perhaps it comes from the French blanc (white) -- if I sell all these shares and end up with a white sheet I have 'blonked' my shares. Is that possible? (2) 'Twerp' (an irritating person) is recorded from 1925, but almost certainly existed in Oxford earlier in the 20th century -- where it was coined from a student T. W. Earp who was famously irritating.

Q: Rose asks: 'What is the origin of the Scottish word “Aye” meaning yes?'

A: The experts say, 'origin unknown.'  One suggestion is that it might have grown out of using the personal pronoun "I" to indicate assent; or from the compression of a phrase such as 'ah, yea.' On the other hand, it might have been a vowel shift in the old word of agreement 'yea'.  In older usage yea was considered the proper affirmative reply when the question was framed in the positive, whereas yes was usually considered to be the proper affirmative reply to a question framed in the negative; a similar distinction was made between nay and no. This distinction became obsolete soon after 1600, and since then yes has been the ordinary affirmative reply to any question positive or negative, and yea has become archaic. 'Aye' survives in Scotland and in parliament.

Q:  Kel, how about putting the word “natter” on TV with Peta. I heard it used again yesterday. Brian  

A: It comes from 1804. But earlier (in 1747) there was the verb ''to gnatter' -- from the verb 'gnash' as in 'gnash your teeth.'. Originally it meant 'to nibble' but it seems to have later meant 'to move one's teeth with frequent talking.

Q:  The colour of Donald Trump's hat a tie is “red” and is representative of the conservative political side of American politics. Conversely “blue” represents the democratic politicians.
In Australia the colours representing our political parties are exactly opposite…. So, my question is… why is the political colour representation different in each country and is there some significance? Ian

A:  Yes, in Britain the same is true -- blue for the conservatives and red for the socialists. The Americans have reversed these. As recently as 1976 the Republicans were blue and the Dems were red. There is a claim that this changed as recently as 2000 (in the Bush versus Gore election) when the newspaper USA Today published an election map reversing those colours. According to the graphic artist who designed the map it was because "Republican" starts with "R" and so does "red."  

Q: Jan writes: 'Why did my grandmother called a post box a "pillar box"?'

A:  A 'pillar box' is defined by the Oxford as: A free-standing public postbox shaped like a pillar, typically (in Britain) about four feet in height, made of cast iron, painted red, and with a slightly rounded cap. The invention and design of the pillar box are usually attributed to the English novelist Anthony Trollope (1815–82); the first box was installed in 1852 at St Helier, Jersey, where Trollope worked as a post office inspector.

Q: Christine writes: "What is the origin of the expression -- ‘You can’t teach your grandmother to suck eggs’? (On PETA’s programme please.)'

A:   Many similar expressions have been invented down the years, such as Don’t teach your grandmother how to milk ducks, and don’t teach your grandmother to steal sheep. These have the same kind of absurd image as the version you quote, which has survived them all. It was first recorded in 1707 in a translation by John Stevens of the collected comedies of a Spanish playwright.  But the idea is very much older. There was a classical proverb A swine to teach Minerva, which was translated by Nichola Udall in 1542 as to teach our dame to spin, something any married woman of the period would know very well how to do. And there are other examples of sayings designed to check the tendency of young people to give unwanted advice to their elders and betters. 

Q:  On 'Credlin' Peta used the word " Discombobulate" (my mother also used it) where did that come from? Krum

A: It was coined in America in 1825, based on words such as 'discompose' and 'discomfort' as a jocular piece of pretend Latin.  It was a jokey way to mean 'To disturb, upset, disconcert, confuse.' 

Q: Beverly writes: 'What is the origin of “Looking a gift horse in the mouth? PS: Love the section with Peta Credlin.'

A:  Horses’ teeth change as they age, making it possible to determine their age from their teeth, which also gave rise to the saying “long in the tooth”.  This proverb advises us to accept gifts graciously without scrutinizing their value, as doing so implies ingratitude. It is of ancient and obscure origin is thought to come from St. Jerome’s Latin text of the Bible from around AD 400. In English, it appeared in 1546.

Q: Len asks 'Where does dilly-dally' come from?

A: 'Dilly-dally' is recorded from 1740. It's an extension of the earlier word 'dally' -- which is recorded from 1300 and came into English from a French source word dalier to converse, chat, pass one's time in light social converse. The doubled version 'dilly-dally' means even more trifling vacillation or indecision.' 

Q:  Kel, my suggestion for WOTY is -- (given the US election) 'weave.’ Trump used this to describe his ability to tell a tangentially relevant story and then resume the main point on which was speaking. He criticised the media for saying he was going off topic and becoming forgetful because the media had a short attention span and an appetite for sound bites. Cheers, Adam

A: I like it. A new use for a (very) old word. 'Weave' comes from Old English (from more than a thousand years ago) meaning 'interlacing yarns' -- which works for Trump given the modern meaning of 'yarns.'

Q: Hi Kel, I enjoy your daily Ozwords tremendously. On the point of WOTY, should SHRINKFLATION not be included? Best regards Ian 

A:  Actually 'shrinkflation' has been around since 2008 --  so probably too old to be this year's WOTY. But perhaps it should be -- because so much of it is now happening! 

Q:  I don't think this has come up on Words Matter on Credlin but would love to see it discussed there. Gaol and Jail. What is the origin of both words, both meaning and spelling? I've noticed the media no longer uses the English spelling 'Gaol' and sticks with the American (mis)spelling 'Jail'. John

A: The 'gaol' spelling is recorded from around 1300s while the 'jail' spelling is recorded from 1425. Back when spelling was not settled in English both were used (up until the 1700s). So, both have a distinguished heritage -- and clearly both can be defended. In America, Noah Webster settled on 'jail' in his highly influential dictionary. My memory is that Australian newspapers switched to the 'jail' spelling in the 1960s -- so this is not new. The reason for the switch was that the reversal of two letters in 'gaol' means you score an own goal.

Q: Re: "Loser's consent" -- A timely discussion! I think this abandonment of Loser's Consent has arisen through changes in schooling and child rearing. Children in the 1950s and possibly also 1960s were taught to lose gracefully. After about three years old tantrums were not acceptable. Now they are all given prizes for any level of performance and losing is played down. I wonder if they are still allowed to play musical chairs. One person got left out when the music stopped as there was one too few chairs - surely this would lead to all sorts of therapy today? One exception I noticed, children in spelling bees on TV seem to have been schooled in losing quietly and congratulating the winner. But these are a very small minority. Heather

A: The silly, trendy idea that everyone has to win, and no one loses may well be the source of this destructive idea.