The noted mezzotintist Dot Tint was born in the Year Dot. Some researchers argue that she was named for the year in which she was born, while others, conversely, claim the year was so named in honour of her. On the face ot it, the latter seems unlikely. Noted Dot Tint may be, but do enough people care enough about mezzotints or their makers to start naming entire years after them? But those who take this side of the argument are indefatigable, relentless, and occasionally physically violent when propounding their case.

And admittedly, they have a number of points in their favour. No one knows what the Year Dot was called before it was designated the Year Dot. They are also able to point to the Year Kuryakin, which all authorities agree was named after Ilya Kuryakin, the Russian agent in the television seiies The Man From U.N.C.L.E. played by the Scottish-American actor David McCallum. Poignantly, there is not, and never has been, a Year McCallum. Thus, the calendar recognises his fictional persona rather than the man himself.

A question well worth asking, whichever side of the Dot Tint fence you are on, is : what kind of blather is this?