Sideswipe: July 22: Three wolfhounds on a roadie

Stigmatised properties

Most real-estate firms try their best to conceal potentially disturbing details about the properties they are trying to sell or lease, but one Japanese company focuses on the advantages haunted or spooky houses have. Jikko buken, the Japanese term for "accident properties" are a controversial aspect of Japanese culture. The term describes generally undesirable homes, be it because of their proximity to cemeteries or crematoriums, or because of disturbing events that took place in them: from suicide, to accidental deaths or even murder. Because Japanese law states that any potential buyer or renter needs to be notified about any such details, the term "accident property" is generally used. But although most real-estate companies avoid giving details about the "accidents" in their listings, Jobutsu Estate, aka Buddhahood Real Estate, has built its business model around giving potential clients as many disturbing details as necessary. The company can be accused for going into too much detail, as it even sorts properties by whether the person who died there was discovered within or after 72 hours, or if they died in a house fire. They are upfront about the history of the place, and emphasise the financial discount they come with (from 10 to 50 per cent cheaper than regular listings).Young and elderly people are the main age demographics interested in the stigmatised properties.

Advice for lady teachers

"I wonder if there was relevant/appropriate advice for the male teacher," ponders Lindsay.

Kids' alternative words

1. My 2 year-old calls the sunroof in the car a sky window and I think the whole world should adopt this.
2. My daughter calls deodorant armpit makeup.
3. My 3-year-old thinks the Beatles are Paul, George, Pingu and Joe Lemmons and he won't be taking any further questions on this.
4. We still use the term rainbrella in our house even though said son is now in his 30s.
5. I'm not saying DON'T teach your kids proper terminologies but I AM saying that mine called a "force field" a "horse field" for about a year and it was the best year of my life.