Crackers! A rant.

People made fun of poor Ed Miliband's* election promises because he decided to set them in stone.

What was wrong with that? 

Well, he didn't do it by promising to pass a law obliging him to stand by his promises, or by giving his word of honour; he did it by, well, setting them in stone.





He really doesn't seem to have understood about the metaphor thing, does he.

Oh dear. 

Still, never mind, there'll be another election along in five years.

What Mr Miliband must remember is that it could have been so much worse. He could have had his promises tattooed on his body. This would not only have presented us with an image I really wouldn't have wanted to feature in The Word Den, but have caused the poor man embarrassment for the rest of his natural life.

As has the tattoo of this man here:






The man was told that tattoo meant brave in Hebrew. Unfortunately it actually means matzo. 

Or cracker.

I fear that tattoo artists are not always scholars and classicists. In fact my impression is that they're not always even reliably literate. In any case, a tattoo is a challenge to Fate and Time, and they are both notorious for playing mean tricks.

I always remember the poor woman who as a young lady got a tattoo of a neat little posy of flowers...

...and ended up with a hanging basket.

Word To Use Today: tattoo. This word comes from the Tahitian tatau.


*Mr Miliband used to be the leader of the Labour Party and lost the recent General Election.