Captain Moonlight: In a word

FEVERED lexicological excitement greeted last week's publication of two supplements to the Oxford English Dictionary with 6,000 new entries. Gobsmacked - 'flabbergasted, astounded, speechless or incoherent with amazement' - is now official. The Captain, for his part, feels a special affinity with himbo, 'the male equivalent of a bimbo; an attractive but unintelligent man'.

The greatest achievement, though, is that of Auberon Waugh in securing a place for his very own verb, to pilger. This, of course, is derived from the noted investigative journalist and safari-suit wearer, John Pilger. To pilger is defined as 'Auberon Waugh's word for: to conduct journalism in a manner supposedly characteristic of Pilger, esp. by presenting information sensationally in support of a particular conclusion.'

An indispensable word, pilger. Without it, saloon-bar discourse would be a poor thing. I telephoned Mr Pilger to offer congratulations for taking his place alongside Captain Boycott and hoover in the rich tapestry of our verbal cut and thrust. He did not return my calls.

Mr Waugh was pleased with the definition, but wished to add a bit with which I do not propose to trouble the company lawyer. I think we could be enriched yet further, with the verb 'to waugh', and the noun 'bron', as in 'he's a right bron, he is'. Mr Waugh kindly consented to set the ball rolling with his own definition: 'waugh, verb intrans: to make a loud noise to no particular purpose. waugh, verb trans: to have an enormous noise made over you, a form of aggression that just stuns people with an irrelevant noise.' More definitions, please, for Mr Waugh, or anybody else. The Captain's bubbly for the best.