Trust a bunch of bankers to give swearing a bad name | David Mitchell

Four-letter words were once rebellious and cool, but the denizens of the finance sector have put paid to thatDoes Prince Charles ever swear at his plants, I wonder. Somehow I doubt it. We all know he talks to them, of course, because he said so in an interview in 1986 when discussing his garden. “I just come and talk to the plants, really,” he said. “Very important to talk to them. They respond.” This much-mocked revelation was supplemented only last year when the panel showQItweeted that he also shakes hands with trees. At tree-planting ceremonies, he apparently always gives a branch a bit of a waggle to wish it well.This all makes perfect sense to me. It ’s no surprise that a man in his position, when presented with an array of silent and quivering organisms, automatically starts chatting and shaking limbs. That’s what almost all royal events must be like. The nervous crowd he’s presented with when he gets out of the Bentley to cut a ribbon is n’t going to be significantly more responsive than your average clump of dahlias. He’s been instinctively filling silences with inane chatter all his life and it’s vital for his self-esteem to believe that, on some level, these mute lifeforms appreciate the effort.Continue reading...

Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - November 29, 2020 Category: Science Authors: David Mitchell Tags: Language Prince Charles Science Acting Culture UK news Source Type: news