Health and safety overlooks the small stuff
"Working for a government organisation, we have health and safety induction courses," writes a reader. "We are told of the escape routes from our building, where the fire extinguishers are located and we have regular fire drills. There are warning signs on the jug saying 'caution water may be hot', signs on the microwave telling us to use microwave-safe utensils because not doing so may 'result in the containers being hotter than usual'. The building has two defibrillators. But I have just cut my finger and there are no band aids in the First Aid kit."
Far-right gets nasty
The conversation around the US election has popularised some new words, some of which have made it on to the Oxford Dictionary radar, like 'cuckservative', a noun: "Among supporters of the alt-right, the neologism cuckservative is used as an insult for mainstream conservatives. The source of -servative in this portmanteau is obvious, but where does cuck" come from? It is shortened from the word cuckold, a derisive term for a man whose wife is unfaithful which arose in English in the 13th century and is relatively uncommon in modern use. As a modern insult, cuck conveys a metaphor of emasculation, but its forcefulness is also enhanced by the fact that it resembles no fewer than three taboo four-letter words in English, and thus carries a strong whiff of obscenity." (Source: blog.oxforddictionaries.com)
