22 JUNE 1996, Page 23

Well-honed

Sir: I share Mr Farara's sensitivity to the English language (Letters, 1 June) but I believe that he may be mistaken in regard- ing 'honing in' as incorrect. Page 1325 of the compact edition of the Oxford English Dictionary states that the term hone is fre- quently applied to a stone serving as a land- mark. Mediaeval travellers used well- known large rocks, particularly those at high elevation, as way points in journeys across country. It is easy to understand that, having reached one, they would then hone in on the next.

This very word was the subject of a short debate in the letters page of the Irish Times a couple of years ago.

John Larkin 1 Clyde Court, Clyde Road,

Dublin 4, Ireland