I returned home the other day to an argument among my young teenage son Joshua and his friends David and Max. They were working on an English homework assignment. Apparently they were searching for a word, which described someone who was happy whilst being sad. “Have you tried a portmanteau?” I asked. They gave it a shot and combined ‘happiness’ with ‘sorrow’ coming up with ‘sorriness’. Not the best portmanteau I had ever heard, but they were rewarded with a mark from their teacher. Mind you, he did deduct a further three marks for copying
each other’s work! On the other hand it did serve to remind them – and me – that when all else fails in copywriting: plagiarise, plagiarise, plagiarise!