In which Tony demonstrates the visual power of language.

The Admiral told me when he was younger he and his friends used to write the word 'why' vertically and it would look like a woman in a bikini. You know, like this:

This would be hugely tittilating for a 10-year-old but it turns out he was 25 at the time. I was relieved when Junior took a shine to him and explained (in sign language of course, as Junior is verbally challenged. And when I say sign language, not real sign language which The Admiral wouldn't understand, but a series of whistles and gestures that she produced for his benefit alone) a few things about women.

I too remember being shown this little W-H-Y trick as a pre-teen by an over-excitable friend with a penchant for fire-raising. The conversation went something like this:

"Look at this," he said.

"What?"

"Not what. Why."

"What?"

"Why."

"Why what?"

"Why. A woman in a bikini."

"I give up. Why a woman in a bikini?"

By this time he'd set fire to it and I was left none the wiser. Anyway, it seemed pretty large for a bikini and the effect was totally ruined once you added the question mark.