Full marks to the clever linguists at the Telegraph, cheekily taking liberties with the titles of Christmas carols to spin their headlines in this quiet festive period. News that Bassam Hamzy almost shared the fate of assorted fallen roosters on the Christmas menu at Goulburn Supermax prison could not be better captioned (“The knife before Xmas”, 27/12). Perhaps we should have expected such liberties with the festive theme from the Telegraph’s competitor. After all, every year we are advised through song to “Hark the Herald, angels sing”, only to be disappointed when its contents repetitively fall short of anything that angels might ever say. Alan Sexton, North Parramatta 28Dec2023
Comment: The competitor is the Sydney Morning Herald.