11 DECEMBER 1999, Page 42

Sticky semantics

From Bishop Hugh Montefiore

Sir: Though no expert on the contents of ladies' handbags, I wonder whether, if we accept Paul Johnson's list of their contents (And another thing, 27 November), he is right to describe them as grunge Ca general term of disparagement for someone or some- thing that is repugnant or odious, unpleasant or dull' — OED). His closing description of their contents as 'the whole bound together by a glue of crumbs, powder, hair and sticky sweet-papers' makes me rather think of gunge ('a sticky or viscous mess, any messy or clogging substance'). I would have thought that grange would be better used to describe the contents of men's pockets.

+ Hugh Montefiore 23 Bellevue Road, London SW17