Yes, let's all second Peter Unsworth's congratulations to Susanna Pressel on becoming Lord Mayor (Cabbages and Kings, Oxford Mail, May 23).
Unfortunately, he's up to his old tricks, claiming that 'chair' is no substitute for 'chairman' and that 'chairperson' and 'chairwoman' are non-words.
Three of my dictionaries recognise all three expressions.
Still, as with certain past linguistic disputes, the veteran local journalist doubtless knows best.
As it happens, I am not too keen on the human 'chair', any more than I approve of 'for you and I', but English did not stop evolving the day Mr Unsworth left school.
By the way, tut, tut, I was taught never to begin a sentence, let alone a paragraph, with 'and' or 'but' or 'or'.
Come to think of it, one-sentence paragraphs were also prohibited.
DAVID DIMENT
Riverside Court, Oxford
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