This is something that has annoyed me many times in the past, and something of which I’ve also been a victim.

Reading words, understanding or not understanding – gaining that understanding and context, but not knowing how to pronounce the word. And let’s face it who wasn’t surprised by the word, ‘hyperbole’? Don’t lie.

A friend of mine took the piss out of me for not knowing how to pronounce ‘Provost’, I was sufficiently upset at the time that I’ve forgotten what I said and what was correct, and frankly I’m not bothered.

I saw Jeremy Paxman do it on University Challenge, when the probably working-class art student answered, winging it really, saying, ‘Is it Don Quicksotees’, and with utter derision Paxman, said, ‘Do you mean Quixote (key-ho-tay). Obviously. But taking the piss out of the bloke and being rude to him is not the right response.

He’s obviously not been around people who knew how to say it, he’s never been taught. He’s taught himself and attempting to better himself and we should applaud that; we should celebrate his efforts. What we shouldn’t be doing is mocking him to knock his confidence and to keep the little people in their place and not have them rise above their stations.