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Grunger Malone

I was pleased that a woman won the race. She is clearly a fine horseman.

Jigjag

Yes , she displays great horsemanship and sportsmanship.

Jigjag, Grunger

Yes, it was pleasing that a woman won the race - and even more pleasing that I have seen no descriptions of her being a 'lady jockey'.

Jigjag, do you need a hand to find the two missing letters from your earlier post? The 'w' and 'o' have gone walkabout...

Malone

Yes, she seemed to be regularly referred to as a female jockey. I suppose horsewoman would be Ok but I agree with Grunger re horsemanship and sportsmanship. I think they cover men and women.

Paulhaberson, "mitigate against" is correct and the phrase has been in use since the early 1800s. Accordig to the OED it means to be a powerful factor or consideration against.

I agree with the comments about vaccine. Stressing the second syllable is an Americanism and it is more usual to say that one has been vaccinated, rather than vaccined.

I wish we could edit posts here! Having looked more closely it seems paulh has a point. Collins agrees with him but the OED is content provided it is used in the sense I mentioned above and also in the sense of to hinder or inhibit.

Orson @2297

Relieved to see your second post. As a pedant I do find it tough having to dismount from my high horse.

If enough people continue to use 'mitigate against' it will probably become mainstream in all dictionaries.

I fear this is what will happen with the 'misuse' of lie, lay, lying, laying, laid and lain.

Paul

Interesting article in Times today about the Scrabble problem you mentioned a few weeks ago. Must be wrong to exclude insults. Do you use the new rulles?

Yes, grunger @2299, I read the article with dismay.

Where do you draw the line with offence and slurs? Should such words be withdrawn from all print and online dictionaries? I see that 'chav' and 'slut' will still be allowed!

No face-to-face tournaments at the moment so I don't know what the Association of British Scrabble Players will do. Mattel, the owners, have the rights to the Scrabble name. I don't know the legal score if there is a breakaway under a new name but with the equipment and old rules identical.

I am currently playing only on the Internet Scrabble Club, where nothing has changed yet.

It would be really annoying to have to 'unlearn' words, and all the training databases would become inaccurate.

PC wokeness at its worst!