REFERENCE the letters regarding the "guttural" (March 19, 20 & 21), I entirely agree with the overuse of "absolutely". What is wrong with the good old "definitely" which has served us well, together with our disdain for the past participle.

Leslie Cuthbertson,

Springbank Cottage, Stewarton.

REGARDING the great speech and grammar rant. I believe it was dear old Stephen Fry who dubbed that particularly irritating habit of turning everything into a question as the "moronic interrogative". Obviously no more to be said really. Yeah?

Wilson Maitland.

Rhuvaal, Shore Road, Cove, Argyll and Bute.

TRYING manfully, gender precludes otherwise, to avoid grammatical pitfalls and worn-out cliches, I hope for catharsis by adding my tuppenceworth, oops, to the correspondence on pronunciation and grammar.

“He’s six feet in height.” What else? Surely not under? “12 stones in weight.” Not carats?

And “40 years of age.” Not inside leg measurement?

You know?

R Russell Smith,

96 Milton Road, Kilbirnie.