Yesterday was a ...

Good Day for soccer moms, as "soccer mom" was voted "Word of the Year" for 1996 by the American dialect society. The term, which became a buzzword during the election campaign, refers to mothers who spend a good deal of time taking their kids to football sessions. "Alpha geek", the man in the office who knows how to solve computer problems, came second. The award for "Most Euphemistic" phrase was shared by "urban camping" (homelessness in a city) and "food insecure" for high levels of starvation.

Bad Day for Smurfs as cuddly pink "Berry Luvin' Baby Smurf" dolls were removed from sale in a shop in Ontario, Canada, after a woman complained that her daughter had learnt obscenities from one. The doll utters a variety of phrases when its hand is squeezed, one of which, according to the woman, sounds like a swear word.