Thing To Do Today: flatter someone.

People who come to play in The Word Den are an open-minded, curious, intelligent lot.*

Right: so now I've done my bit of flattery for today, how about you doing yours?**

You do look nice in that dress.

I know I can count on you to do it properly.

The children so much look forward to seeing you.

I'm longing to read your next book.

You're such an inspiration.

You'll be able to understand these numbers.

Just think: you'll be making the world a happier place, and making friends at the same time...

…but then, a clever person like you will have worked that out already.

Thing To Do Today: flatter someone. Flattery is quite often insincere and done for personal gain; but not always. The word probably comes from the Old French flater, to lick or fawn upon.

*Which must mean, now I come to think about it, that there are open-minded, curious, and intelligent people in every nation of the world. 

Well, that's something we could all usefully bear in mind.

**Not that I didn't mean it, natch.