Channelling Moses?: a rant.

Britain's EU referendum continues to be full of interest - well, it does for the student of language, anyway.

On the 6th June, for instance, the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, held a hastily-arranged press conference on the roof of a London building.

On the roof of a building? Good heavens, he's the Prime Minister, he must have had a spare office available somewhere. Even if he hadn't, I understand his house in Downing Street has a nice garden. 

No, the roof thing must have been some sort of a message.

Was he trying to channel Moses on the mountain? Suggest the precipice-like danger of Brexit? I have no idea.

Equally baffling was Professor Brigitte Granville of London University's comment about France, which has its own anti-European Union feelings.

"It is a protest against the elites,' she said. 'There are 5000 people in charge of everything in France. They are all linked by school and marriage, and they are tight.'

Tight? 

I'm not sure from the context whether Professor Granville means careful with money or drunk.

Either way, I'm not surprised people are concerned.

Word To Use Today: tight. This word is probably something to do with the Old English thēttr, close, and related to the Middle High German dīhte, thick.  

PS Tight can be used to mean emotionally co-dependent, but not usually in educated speech, as here.