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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Letters

Bare reasons to believe in a bright future for the English language

The World Naked Bike Ride in London last week.
Bare people, in more ways than one … The World Naked Bike Ride in London last week. Photograph: WIktor Szymanowicz/NurPhoto/Rex/Shutterstock

I enjoyed your piece on the rise of Multicultural London English (Pass notes, 14 June), but felt that one serious omission from the list of translations was “bare”, meaning “many” or “lots of”. Before I retired as a London secondary school headteacher a few years ago, a student rushed up to me one lunchtime and said, “Sir, Sir, bare people are fighting in the park.” The look she gave me when I asked why they weren’t wearing any clothes was a wonder to behold.
Jeremy Waxman
Canterbury

• Katy Balls argues that Boris Johnson’s promise of no border in the Irish Sea “quickly proved to be wide of the mark” (This battle is not about the EU or even Northern Ireland – it’s Johnson fighting his own MPs, 13 June). No, Katy. To anyone who was paying attention it was always an obvious lie.
Richard Daugherty
Mumbles, Swansea

• Dr Michael Symonds suggests the Tory party is reminiscent of Woolworths (Letters, 12 June). Woolworths provided good value for money and was immensely useful to huge numbers of people. I see no similarity between the two.
Pamela Guyatt
Lamerton, Devon

• Dr Michael Symonds is right. Woolworths was famous for its “pick and mix” sweet counter, and that would just about sum up this useless government’s approach to policymaking.
Dr Karen Postle
Titchfield, Hampshire

• Those Guardian journalists and others now banned by Russia from entering the country (Report, 14 June) should add “BBR” after their name, as a mark of honour.
Guy Otten
Littleborough, Greater Manchester

Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication.

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