Reader mail:

I don't mean to nit-pick but I just saw your most recent post […] and I have to say perhaps OpinionJournal has a point. After all, if you've seen the pictures you will notice that somebody misspelled "rapist." Surely students at the elite universities can at least spell correctly.

Quite so. While we're on the subject of nit-picky exactitude, I must recommend Lynne Truss's much applauded bestseller: a quick read as well as a polite reminder of the power of being perfect.