Telling a story to friends tonight I said, "Last night I made a Dutch baby . . . "*

Be careful around English scholars. They will leap on a slip like that and spend the rest of the night asking who the father is and if you're going to name the baby Hans and if so, are you naming it after the Die Hard villain Hans Gruber - played by Alan Rickman? (The answer to the last question is 'yes'.)

It's good to have a reminder of the fun that language can be. Laughing with friends, even at your expense, smooths over the cracks of a stressful existence.

*Note: a Dutch Baby is a sweet popover descended from a German pfannkuchen.**

**It's like a pancake with stuff in.