9 DECEMBER 1972, Page 29

Ugly English

Sir: Mr Brock writes about sloppy English (Letters, December 2). There is something worse and that's ugly English. And he is guilty of it — and tautology to boot. Normalcy of acceptance' produces the same effect as a schoolboy scraping nails over a blackboard. 'Normal acceptance' is better but wastes space. If something is accepted it is regarded as normal, surely. So normalcy of acceptance' has shrunk to ' acceptance ' and none the worse for it!

Rupert Butler

11 Neville Street, London SW7