Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.IN DISCUSSING William Hague's shortcomings, Auberon Waugh remarks that he appeals to "dodgy second-hand car dealers and garagistes from Essex, but this is a type with which nobody else identifies and nobody admires".
Mr Hague might wince, but the rest of us can take it as a sign that the word will have a revival as a neat term for the proprietor of a filling- station. The OED credits The Observer in 1928 with the first importing of the French - and with a final, 1967 instance: "the garagiste greeted the news with the tired smile of those accustomed to dealing with the ignorant". A fine phrase, whose author merits record. Why does the OED omit these? Richard Boston was galled that it credits the New Statesman, not himself, with coining Sod's Law.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments