Someone telephoned me to say that I had been pre-selected to receive something or other.

Despite asking him four times to repeat the end of the sentence, I remain ignorant of the nature of this doubtless splendid, genuine and unconditional gift.

I inquired as to why he thought I should want whatever it was, to which he replied: "Because you have been pre-selected." He also managed to mispronounce my name after each correction.

David Diment

Riverside Court

Oxford