26 AUGUST 1949, Page 4

While endeavouring to avoid an excessive purism I do dislike

seeing words given an impossible meaning. Take " oblivious." It means " forgetful (of)" and nothing else—not " unconscious (of)" or "indifferent (to)," or anything of that or any other kind. Provocation to those remarks is the reference in a daily paper to a baby sleeping " oblivious to the noise of fireworks." I don't for a moment believe the baby had forgotten the noise ; I don't believe it had ever heard it ; it had gone to sleep at an hour when all good babies should.