Peak panic: a rant.

We're all relying heavily on scientific advice at the moment. 

This is sensible. 

I do wish, though, that one of our top British experts hadn't recently referred to our reaching the peak of the plateau.

Still, if they can get the science right then I'll very willingly forgive them for not being able to speak English.

Word To Use Today: plateau. This word comes from French, from the Old French plat, which means flat. Before that the Greek word platus meant flat, too.


Lasithi Plateau with peaks behind. Photo by JennyLisitsa via Wikimedia Commons

Plateau is basically the same word as plate - even though, as you'll have noticed, plates are actually more valley-shaped than flat. 

This is a good thing because otherwise, obviously, you'd get soup in your lap.