A chara, – The 2024 Defence Forces Review brings to mind the 50,000-word novel Gadsby (1939), which uses no words containing the letter “E”. This is an example of a lipogram, restrained writing that idiosyncratically avoids certain letters or groups of letters.
The Defence Forces Review doesn’t quite achieve this, but a valiant effort has nevertheless been made to minimise use of the words “neutral” and “neutrality”.
In a report of 24,000 words, these two words are used a total of 21 times. As was to be expected in a report from a Government clearly not in love with neutrality, “Nato” fares better: it is mentioned 25 times. – Is mise,
DOMINIC CARROLL
READ MORE
How to work smarter: get up early, do your work diligently, have a long lunch, go home
Ronan O’Gara delivers a man-of-the-match display on Lions duty years after hanging up his boots
Glastonbury 2025: All that Kneecap and Bob Vylan outrage drowned out the air strike on the cafe birthday party
‘By the time we see couples, there is no hand-holding, let alone sex’: how to treat female sexual pain
Ardfield,
Co Cork
