Sir, - In Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing one of the characters, Dogberry, speaks the words "comparisons are odorous".
Now, apart from the play itself, I've rarely if ever seen or heard this line quoted correctly. Invariably the word "odorous" is replaced by the word "odious" which is well nigh the complete opposite of the original. A recent example appeared in Maire Geoghegan-Quinn's column on Saturday (January 16th).
Is this done consciously or is it a mere solecism? - Yours, etc., Paul Delaney,
Beacon Hill, Dalkey.
