the number that have reached the ‘almost’ level is steadily increasing. In several ways this is good but it can be irritating because these people are so close to being right they overlook vital improvements. Observe the number of times you see or hear, ‘the show is on from the 16th through the 23rd’ or ‘operating hours are between nine to five’ or ‘…the lengths he will go through to get his way’ and you’ll realise what i mean.

Those are bad enough but with verbs the ‘almost’ people really come into their own: ‘he heart attacked’; ‘it’s safer to lay down than stand up’; ‘listen up now’; ‘they got off of the bus’; ‘it debuts soon’; ‘the ceasefire will effect next Tuesday’; ‘the show premieres in London two weeks from now’; ‘the project starts in one month and will complete in three years.’

Almost, but not quite.