Ahoy there, Mr Key!, writes Dr Ruth Pastry, I very much enjoyed reading your piece Unspeakable. For me, the thunderclap moment was the mention of the cravatteuse’s dog. I am sure I cannot be alone among your readers in hankering for more dog-detail. Would you, for example, be in possession of a picture of this fabled canine?

On another matter, with reference to your piece Hendiadys In Mudchute, am I correct in thinking that there is a figure of speech, or it might be a disease of poultry, called chickendiadys?

I look forward to hearing from you regarding both these riveting topics.

In answer to Dr Pastry’s queries, the one about the dog being (A) and the one about the chicken being (B), my responses are:

(A) Yes 

and (B) No.