Letters

Birthday check

Congratulations on the Centenary Special of the South China Morning Post (November 6).

However, your slip was showing in the frontpage headline. The Chinese (or rather Cantonese) word for 'year' is nin, not lin. You were probably misled by wedding banquet menus which call lotus seed in red bean soup bak lin ho hop (100 years good match).

Lin is the name of the lotus. Your mistake is therefore pardonable.

I wrote to the editor 10 years ago when he said the crossword solution was probably incorrect, saying that the solution was absolutely correct but all the clues were spoonerisms. I am happy to remain fault-finder as the Post celebrates its 100th birthday. Many happy returns.

RUPERT CHAN, University of Hong Kong