Backs and Affronts
SIR,—In company with thousands of other admirers of Janus I have always regarded him as, quiffs," rightly, a stickler for the correct use of the Englishianguage. I was somewhat surprised therefore to find the following in last week's "Notebook." "I have bee!, at a luncheim where some of the company necessarily had their backs to the king and queen. If Their Majesties felt affronted on that occasion I can only say that they concealed their emotions remarkably well."
The dictionary confirms my view that the primary meaning (from which derivative meanings follow) of "affront" is "to meet face to face." Would Janus kindly explain how Their Majesties could have been affronted by somebody's hack?—Yours faithfully, TERRINGTON.
House of Lords.
[Janus writes: Their Majesties were clearly not affronted: I need not therefore explain how they were.]
Previous page
