5 AUGUST 1989, page 23

Naff Origins

Sir: Peregrine Worsthorne (Diary, 22 July) would like to know where the word `naff originated. The entry in Jonathon Green's The Dictionary of Contemporary Slang (Pan Books,......

Sir: Plainly Naff Ought To Derive From Naafi Because It

so well describes the enthu- siasms dear to servicemen: dancing to 1960s music, personalised goods, tinkering with cars, sport, visiting pubs in groups, curry, Bailey's Irish......

Blond Is Beautiful

Sir: Your diarist Mr Worsthorne refers to Anthony Blond as 'a much better writer than publisher' (22 July). He must have a high opinion of Mr Blond's jottings. For the record, I......

Rude Restaurateurs

Sir: Nico's title as rudest restaurateur (17 June) cannot go undisputed. Four guests and I arrived most punctually at Harvey's on 13 July 9.30 p.m. We were seated and wined with......

Memory Lane

Sir: I have been commissioned to write my autobiography — I can scarcely say 'my memoirs' since I remember practically nothing — and would be most grateful to hear from anyone......

The Red 'un

Sir: Christian Hesketh (`Yes, but why a red flag?' 22 July) may be interested to know that in 1906 was published issue No. 1 of True Red: The Wirral Conservative Maga- zine......

Letters De Mortuis. .

Sir: Some weeks ago an uncle died. After 15 years as an academic, 20 years as a parish priest, and 25 years in retirement, his death was hardly front-page news. But three days......