What’s wrong with being called a ‘smarty pants’?

‘The only reason I played this game was to be called smarty pants.’ Photograph: The Guardian

I’ve noticed that when I find a rare long word in the Guardian’s online game Wordiply, I’m no longer cheerfully insulted as “smarty pants”, but offered an anaemic “congratulations”. The only reason I played was to be called smarty pants. Is it offensive in some way? Have there been complaints? If smarty pants has been ruled out, how about another cheerful playground insult: “clever clogs”? Go on, cheer us up. Congratulations is as cheering as a damp handshake.
Martin Harrington
Kennington, Oxfordshire

• Folklore has it that Satan renders blackberries inedible by peeing on them on Michaelmas Day, 29 September. It looks as if age-related incontinence might be catching up with the poor old devil at last (Early ripening of berries in UK shows nature is under stress, say experts, 19 August).
Richard Elliott
Nottingham

• Re Steven Julians’ concern that nowadays you can’t call a xenophobe a xenophobe (Letters, 18 August), perhaps the answer is to emulate the protester against Plasticine Action by calling a xenophobe a xylophone.
Gwyneth Boswell
Norwich

• Carnival police never could keep the beat so it’s just as well that they are now commanded to maintain it (Pity the beat cops now they’re banned from dancing at the Notting Hill carnival, 19 August).
Paul McGilchrist
Cromer, Norfolk

• I can see a curfew for the over-65s (Letters, 15 August) appealing to ministers, but if an exception is not made for Wetherspoon’s visits there will be a revolution.
Keith Flett (aged 68)
Tottenham, London

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