12 MAY 1973, Page 28

Printing troubles

Sir: Their fellow journalists must be giggling with gusto at the expense of John Rowan Wilson and Pamela Vandyke Price whose respective columns in The Spectator of May 5 contained the following identical pearls of wisdom on the subject of the female form, word for word:

" Beneath the sexy sweater of today lie the dangling boobs of tomorrow. A girl who is not aware of this has demonstrated, at the very least, a lack of capacity for long term planning." I suppose that a little plagiarism among writers is inevitable but to expose their lapse to the view of readers who expect some original thoughts from such distinguished columnists must be causing them more than a little embarrassment. Boobs indeed!

Incidentally, one wonders how much editorial scrutiny is exercised before going into print. Could it be , that The Spectator's recent "printing and typographical difficulties" have been responsible for this amusing faux pas?

S. S. E. Eglinton Fordyce Lodge, Bogmuchals, Banff Yes, we're afraid they were. — Editor, The Spectator