Why advertising agencies were invented

They say ‘sell the benefits’, but Floriline’s graphic realism small ad that ran for more than 20 years points to just how malodorous things must have been in the drawing room of the 19th century. This is why David Ogilvy, Jay Chiat and a bunch more 20th century artists in communication have an honoured place… Continue reading Why advertising agencies were invented

Is there a rack where disused words are hung?

Is there a rack where disused words are hung like lost umbrellas, waiting for someone to claim and recycle them? Here’s a verb: to glimm. Sadly I am either much too young or much too old to ever utter it, but my unanswerable question is how it came to mean two totally diametrically opposed actions… Continue reading Is there a rack where disused words are hung?

What are words worth?

‘Plump’ is an interesting word. I hear you say: “Isn’t ‘plump’ just the euphemism you awkwardly use to describe that fat kid to his parents’ face?” Fairy godmothers are plump; untermenschen are clinically obese. Well, no. It carries other meanings. If you think about it, you ‘plump’ up cushions, though I guess that may be… Continue reading What are words worth?

Who’s that (interesting) girl?

Who doesn’t love a murder mystery, right? Especially a 200-year old murder? So it was that I was drawn to All Things Georgian and the tale of Elizabeth Shepherd or Sheppard. One thing led to another. I wasn’t convinced of the author’s conclusion that this was motiveless. It did not seem to fit with the… Continue reading Who’s that (interesting) girl?

Stanley says “Less passion from less protein”

February 22 marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of Stanley Green. “OK, move on, nothing to see here”. In a year of round figure anniversaries — 800 since Magna Carta; 600 since Agincourt; 200 years since the Battle of Waterloo finally ended Napoleon’s career; Dunkirk (75); the end of the Second War (70) and… Continue reading Stanley says “Less passion from less protein”

Declare your pigeon, monsieur, or else

Before the EU made all the rules, the French made all their own. They love rules so much, it’s almost pathological. It is September 1885 and Madame Defarge has been seen hanging around the pigeon loft… Can you envisage just how many civil servants were kept in work compiling and updating the record of the… Continue reading Declare your pigeon, monsieur, or else

Careful with that axe Eugenia

I recommend this blog from Strange Company about… well, as (s)he says: “For me, one of the innumerable joys of the “Illustrated Police News” is that while they did report on a lot of women who were victims of the domestic abuse, robberies, natural disasters and ‘orrible murders that were a staple of this august… Continue reading Careful with that axe Eugenia