Bravo Benny

I've been to see The Imitation Game, the biopic about Alan Turing, the code-breaking boffin of Bletchley Park. Benedict Cumberbatch excels himself in the role of the eccentric genius. I hope he gets the Oscar.

   It was a thoughtful and gripping telling of his story, even if it took some historical liberties and a reminder, if any were needed, that those who would re-imagine the human race to eliminate all oddballs and "imperfect" people are making a very big mistake. A.Hitler should have taken note.
   Funny, though, seeing it in the company of Americans, who all swooned in unison as Downton Abbey actors showed up in various roles.
   Since I've lived in America I've really started to notice the Americanisms  in films and books supposedly about Britain and there were plenty here.   For example, I never heard the word "coworkers" in Britain. Last time I looked, we talked about "colleagues". I first saw "coworker" written when I came to America and assumed it had something to do with farming.  Not to mention using "smart" to mean "clever."  I doubt that was in common usage among academic types in Britain in the 1940s but I'm happy to be corrected.

But it's amazing that the policeman was allowed to get away with the P word. And I don't mean because of its politically incorrect connotations but because Americans don't know what it means. They think a p**f is an unruly barnet and happily sell "Anti-P**f " shampoo.