No one expects the tone of an election to be mild-mannered, least of all a presidential one. Susie Dent Read Quote
Super Tuesday is the day on which most states hold their primaries. Its darker partner is Dirty Tricks Thursday: the Thursday before an election when candidates release scandalous stories to garner bad publicity for their opponent: the timing means the accused will have little time to refute the allegations. Susie Dent Read Quote
Political boundaries in their most physical terms can make or break an election. The manipulation of electoral districts can make them either ‘blue-hot’ or ‘red-hot’ depending on the level of intensity felt in either camp to such shifting ground. Susie Dent Read Quote
For the Anglo-Saxons, meat was the main meal of the day, which revolved around ‘before-meat’ and ‘after-meat.’ But it has ended up as the metaphor for the most basic: ‘meat and potatoes’ is as far from sassy – from ‘sauce’ – as you can get. Susie Dent Read Quote
Most crime novels offer a curious kind of escape, to places that jag the nerves and worry the mind. Their rides of suspense give a good thrill, but it’s rarely a comfortable one. Susie Dent Read Quote
The term ‘psychological thriller’ is an elastic one these days, tagged liberally on to any story of suspense that explores motivations while keeping blood and chainsaws to a minimum. Susie Dent Read Quote
In many cases, the line between a thriller and a crime novel has become too blurred to be useful. Susie Dent Read Quote
We all know that little words or phrases can mean a lot, yet so few of us know just what to say. Phrases, such as ‘chin up,’ or ‘it could be worse,’ usually have the opposite effect; they feel tired and impersonal, even dismissive. Susie Dent Read Quote
Bizarrely, our English word ‘sturdy’ may go back to the Latin turdus, thrush. Anyone described as ‘sturdy’ in the 1200s was wilfully reckless and possibly as immovable as a sozzled bird. Susie Dent Read Quote
