Letter: Survival of the fittest words

Sir: I imagine many of your readers sympathise with P R Millest (letter, 4 April) in his irritation at such phrases as "zero tolerance".

However, English is a living means of expression, and the principle of evolution will apply: life tries every variation; if a variation can survive, it will. Most of our present-day verbal variations will die out; those few which are useful will survive.

P R Millest must be grateful that he displays a characteristic of living things - sensitivity to stimulus - and that he is not a couch-potato.

JOHN RIVETT

Beaminster,

Dorset