Newsletter: 7 February 2011

What’s a donut? or is it a doughnut? Both spellings exist and if you’d like to know much more about these sweet things, here a link to the article in Wikipedia. i was surprised to learn that they’re not only dunkin’ … but exist in culinary cultures all over the world. Often topped with with glazed sugar or colorful fruity, rich toppings.

Now the big question is this: Why are doughnuts in the news? Of course, if you’re in finance in the City, you’d know this right away but for the rest of us, it may bring a smile. Because it’s all in the shape … and I suppose in the airy weight. But essentially, traditional doughnuts look like … the letter “O” or in numerical terms … the zero (0) or nought.

Which is what this sentence from the International Herald Tribune this weekend taught us:

“From Wall Street to the City of London, so-called doughnuts are on the menu this season. While the carbohydrate-packed variety may damage their health, it is the wealth hit from the zero bonus – known colloquially as a doughnut – that investment bankers increasingly fear.”

Oh dear! Do I hear a sigh? About to cry? No need to fear. Just persevere. This is what a wise banker will advise.

Our languages are alive with metaphors, with images and if the single doughnut is all some will get with their coffee this year, they ought to be thankful for that but I suspect that …  next year some of them will get half a dozen bagels for breakfast …with poppy seeds, sesame or even just plain!

Keep smiling … and keep your eyes open. You’ll see metaphors by day, meteors by night.

Related Images:

Author: Mark