A word often defines an age. While World War II popularised “spiv” (a flashy dresser living on black market dealings), the current crisis — as much a global struggle for survival as any clash of arms — has enriched the English language by investing old words with new meanings. One such is “woke”, which Britain’s political right denounces as a battering ram that will destroy the ramparts of social orthodoxy.
Not that London, where I have been marooned these past three months, betrays any sign of the linguistic revolution grinding away under the surface. Forbidden by the authorities even to idle
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