Flotsam and jetsam are not everyday terms. Technically, they refer to specific kinds of shipwreck: flotsam (from a word originally meaning 'to float') is the floating wreckage of a ship or its cargo, whilst jetsam (from the word 'jettison', meaning to discard or throw...

Jesus was once asked (by a rather exasperated Peter, I always feel) “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”  (Matt 18:21) I always get the feeling Peter thought he was doing rather well to suggest as many as...

When I was a teenager and learning to cook, I would read recipes with a fair amount of bemusement. My favourite was the recipe for meringues, which said cryptically 'whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks that just tip over when you lift the whisk.' I would...