How can you tell that someone’s a phoney?
By that person’s use of language, body and otherwise.
Philip Stigger, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
• When their phone becomes their lifeline to the outside world.
R De Braganza, Kilifi, Kenya
• If that someone happens to be a politician, when their lips move.
Dave Robinson, Newstead, Tasmania, Australia
• Send me $10 and an audio recording of the person you are wondering about. I will analyse their breathing and speech patterns using a tested scientific technique and let you know if the truth is being told. For $100 I will teach you the technique.
Margaret Wyeth, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
By the number of selfies on the addictive phone.
Warwick Ruse, Brunswick West, Victoria, Australia
• By their wig and false moustache.
Joan Dawson, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
I was hurt by the critical tone
Do diacritics matter?
Not according to the ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) Character Set.
Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills, Victoria, Australia
• Um, laut me think ... Yes, in German – and definitely in French, where it would be acute and grave not to use the circumflex, cedilla and diaeresis. Many languages use diacritics to indicate vowel quality and length, not to mention tone.
Ursula Nixon, Bodalla, NSW, Australia
• They might be small, but the little accent has a pronounced effect.
David Tucker, Halle, Germany
• Yes. Ask any writer or performer; they hurt.
David Ross, Thoiry, France
• For the French, it is a matter that is both grave and acute.
Harvey Mitchell, Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia
• Although they can put stress in reading aloud, diacritics must be emphasised as an integral intonation aid. Eternally remembered as “that squiggly thing that goes over the n in Spanish”!
Molly Bolding, Tavistock, UK
• Certainly to the Brits who school Yanks on their shared language.
James Carroll, Geneva, Switzerland
• Yes, for a French éleve who will pay a prix élevé for ignoring them.
Jeff Siegel, Armidale, NSW, Australia
• Mark my words, they do!
Jim Dewar, Gosford, NSW, Australia
Just another word for special
Can somebody please define the adjective ‘iconic’?
Think Arctic. Think polar bear.
Doreen Forney, Pownal, Vermont, US
• It means “special” according to 99.999% of UK TV presenters. But then, maybe I am being iconoclastic.
David Cooper, Totnes, UK
Really just a bit of padding
Is lettuce a waste of space?
No, it’s the airbag between bread and meat.
Simon Matoori, Zurich, Switzerland
• What evidence is there that there is any lettuce in space?
Howard Clase, St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada
Keep it open, wherever it is
Is a global mindset contrary to a national mindset?
Neither is as good as an open mind.
Pat Phillips, Adelaide, South Australia
Any answers?
Where can one find blind justice?
Terence Rowell, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
Is there such a thing as an eco-friendly labour-saving device?
E Slack, L’Isle Jourdain, France
Send answers to weekly.nandq@theguardian.com or Guardian Weekly, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU, UK
