contemplating death such a taboo subject?

' We're all in the departure lounge, waiting to see who will be next'

Life - nobody gets out of it alive. So why is contemplating death such a taboo subject?

COVER STORY

Lynn Barber

There's a great moment in the Barbie film where Margot Robbie blurts out, 'Do you guys ever think about dying? and everyone is shocked. But I can assure you that oldies like me (I'm 79) think about dying the whole time andtalk about it too. In fact, it's our absolute favourite topic of conversation. But we can only talk about it among ourselves- it's disastrous to talk about it in front of the young because they get upset. They think it means we're depressed and start recommending antidepressants, or saying, 'Oh, don't worry, you'll never die!', which just shows how stupid they are. But actually, some of my most invigorating and cheerful conversations have been with fellow oldies about dying.

Funerals or, better, memorial services are our great social events. It must be a decade or more since I went to a wedding, and I was never that keen on weddings anyway, whereas now I go to several funerals a year. They area chance to catch up with old friends and lay bets on whose funeral we'll be attending next. It's as if we're all crammed into the departure lounge, waiting to see who'll be next through the exit door: 'Oh, I didn't think it would be her, she always seemed so fit. Which → of course is often said with a certain glee when someone who wore a Fitbit, didn't drink, didn't smoke and talked about their vitamin supplements makes it out of the exit before old reprobates like me. 

Naturally we oldies are all in favour of assisted dying - some of us would make it mandatory. The only question is at what age? My parents lived to 92 and I have absolutely no desire to emulate them: by the time they died they had no surviving friends. Until this year I would have said 80 was the best time to go, but that now seems a bit imminent. Make it 85, so I have time to de-clutter the house, as I'm always promising the daughters I will do. A life insurance actuary once told me that after 90 years old, your chances of dying in the next year don't noticeably increase. 

You could die at 92 or 102, who could say. 

I remember when I was working at Sunday Express in the 1980s being in an interview with a famous medium called Stokes. She asked if I wanted to be in touch with someone on the other side. I looked blank and asked, 'Other side of what?' She said, 'One who has passed on. 

Oh, you mean dead!' I exclaimed, but she flinched at the word. 'I meant someone you loved who has passed on. 

I racked my brains but, honestly, couldn't think of any. Parents? Still alive. 'Grandparents?' she pressed. Well, yes but actually both my grandfathers died before I was born and I didn't like either of my grandmothers. 'Could you put me in touch with my childhood dog, Zulu?' No, she said, she didn't do dogs. So, somewhat reluctantly, I agreed to take a message from my maternal grandmother who, Doris reported, said she was 'watching over me from the other side' , in other words spying, as usual. Poor Doris obviously found me a disappointment.

To think I was then in my late 30s and still hadn't 'lost' anyone I cared about. Death was not on my radar. But then, in my 40s, a couple of acquaintances and then a very dear friend died of Aids, and death began to move closer. I still didn't worry about it but I could see it was a possibility. And in my 50s things really sped up. Two friends died of cancer, another of alcoholism, one of a heart attack. My husband David and I used to spend every New Year in Venice with a gang of friends and pose for group shots on the balcony. Looking at those pictures now, it's like 'Ten Green Bottles' one fewer of us every year.

My husband died in 2003 when he was only 59. He developed a disease called myelofibrosis and was given a bone-marrow I was widowed before I was 60. His father transplant but died in the course of it, so and both my parents were still alive and thought it was unfair that I had to listen to complaints from three nonagenarians while newly widowed myself. But it taught me an important lesson about death: it is completely random. You can'texpect it or plan for it; it just comes. About five years ago my Twitter feed started featuring ads for 'funeral insurance' and I wondered if they knew something I didn't, but evidently not. In any case, how mad would you have to be to spend good money on paying for your own funeral? My daughters ask occasionally whether I have any special wishes for my funeral and I say,

' MY DAUGHTERS ASK IF I HAVE ANY SPECIAL WISHES FOR MY FUNERAL AND I REPLY "NO" BECAUSE I WON'T  BE THERE. '

'No, because I won't be there.' 

It's not death we worry about but dying, and the big question is always: how long will it take? You used to hear of people dropping dead of a sudden massive heart attack, but that seldom seems to happen any more. We all envy the late Queen dying in her bed 'of old age' but perhaps you have to be the Queen to be allowed to do that. Otherwise it's all hospitals and medical interventions which I don't fancy at all. Why does it have to be so difficult to die? Why can't doctors just hand you a death pill when they make the terminal diagnosis and say. 'Take it when you feel ready. Why do we have to ask anyone's permission to die?

Nowadays death is the last taboo. We're not supposed to talk about it. We very rarely even see except on the news. In Ireland, in the past, when Granny died, her body was laid out on the kitchen table and all the family, friends, neighbours, even children gathered round, so death was quite a familiar sight. Not now. This is crazy, isn't it? I think we should all be more accepting of death, and talk about it more, not treat it as some embarrassing unmentionable. After all, it will happen to us all. In fact, it is dead common.

Michael Odell :

I think Barbie was right to raise the question of mortality while on the dance floor. These days, it's while throwing shapes to, say, Abba's 'Dancing Queen' at a wedding reception or birthday party that I most often think, 'Christ, my knees! I'm dying here! I've just turned 60 so joint ache is a definitely an early intimation that none of this is for ever.

I'm getting plenty of other nudges from the Grim Reaper, too. Like everytime, approaching Birmingham New Street station, I pass the huge HS2 building site and inwardly say, 'I'll a probably just about see that finished: Whereas whenever I hear Elon Musk banging on about his proposed colonisation of Mars, I think, 'Hmm. I should see the first crewed flight takeoff in 2029. But the actual sustainable colony planned for 2050? I won't be around for that one unless I eat a lot more salad.'

l accept that large infrastructure projects are a funny way to measure life but I distinctly remember, as a late-20-something, watching grimy faced English and French workmen on the news, blinking away the dirt and shaking hands. The two sides had just met digging the Channel Tunnel and I thought: 'I can't wait to try that! Now I sense the world, rightly, is being shaped for younger generations.

Sometimes, sitting on the bench outside my local Waitrose, I think, 'What will I leave behind?' Only because the bench is dedicated to a local who, it says, 'loved nothing more than to sit here and enjoy the view'. The view is of a zebra crossing. Is that a life well lived? And what message would I leave to the world? My favourite is still comic author Spike Milligan's idea for a headstone: "I told you I was ill."

Still, I hope Barbie didn't get too bent out of shape at the thought of one day going to landfill. Contemplating death isn't a bad thing. A mortal reminder can work like a good G&T; it's an early evening sharpener to prime one for the fun that remains. Because, in lifetime terms, I am definitely getting into the last evening. One can either slope off early to bed or forget that niggling knee and hit the disco one last time. →

againRoll

QUIRKYROUTESTO THEAFTERLIFE

PHILIPPINESThe Igorot tribeplaces bodies incoffins nailed to cliffs,believing the deceasedneed to be as closeas possible to theiraancestral spirits.

SOUTH KOREAAshes are turned intobonhyan (beads) thatare displayed in theirfamily home, so theystay close to lovedones in their next life.

MADAGASCARThe Merina tribehas a ritual calledfamadihana, or 'turningof the bones'. Every fiveyears, the deceased areremoved from theirburial crypt andwrapped in fresh clothwhile family memberstalk to the body and

update them about

worldly events.

TIBETBuddhists embracejhator, or sky burials.Bodies are cut intopieces and left on amountain for vulturesto eat. When theyfly off, it is believedthey carry the person'ssoul to paradise.

TIMES

ary KillenVor i was roughly four, a s called up the

that age, isn't it about time I died?' For thesame reason I don't dwell on my death.

stears of our house in Northpeland, to ask

had I csaned my teeth. "Yes: ed.The voice (of a babysitte:) led back:'Did you know that wee girls who tell lies willago to hail and roast on a spit for all eterrity?The babysitter had been indoctrinated by

My friend Anne, 89, says that the palmsof her hands have become dry. 'This is whathappens to apes, she observes. 'Their handseventually lose the ability to grip branchesso they will fall off the tree and die. It'snature's way.

fire-and-brimstone church sermons of the era, but I could never ask my parents if she was right. That would have meant admitting I'd told a lie. Moreover, if she were right, then it wouldupset my parents to think of my going to hell.

I'm aware that nature will want meto be dead too one day. But what's thepoint of thinking about it? I can't knowwhat will happen to my 'soul' and thereforecan't plan ahead.

PHILIPPINESBodies of the Tinguianpeople are placedsitting in a chair for

And so I cringed in vague terror for years.As the decades rolled on I stopped believingin hell - and heaven, for that matter. I halfheartedly believed in reincarnation for a bit buthave always been too busy to think these

around three weekswearing their bestclothes, sometimes witha lit cigarette betweentheir lips, so they cancontinue enjoyingworldly pleasuresin the afterlife.

'What happens when you're dead?'I asked the late birth guru Betty Parsons.It was clear to those who met Betty thatashe had a hotline to the 'people upstairs'

things through so put them on the back burner.never want to give or think about my agebecause I'm very suggestible. Being faced withthe cold fact will make me think, 'Hang on, if I'm

'We can only perceive what wehave the faculties to perceive, answered Betty calmly. 'But whatever it is, I know it will be benign.

What I've learnt

 What I've learnt 

Sharon Osbourne, 71, grew up in London. Herfather, Don Arden, managed the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. After the group sacked its lead singer, Ozzy Osbourne, she became his manager. They married and had three children. The MTV reality show about their family, The Osbournes, won an Emmy in 2002. She has been a judge on the X-Factor and America's Got Talent and appeared on Celebrity Big Brother last month. Having lived in Los Angeles, she and Ozzy are in the process of returning to the UK.

I didn't expect Ozempic to work the way it did. I've lost 45lb in 18 months. I'm happy with my weight loss. I feel healthier. I'm contented. I always want the quick fix:"I want to lose weight in two weeks,"or, "I want a new face. Can you do it?"

 I went through cancer in 2002, so I'm thinking of the Princess of Wales. Chemo is not fun. I lost my finger nails, toe nails, hair. I think about her beautiful hair, her body and what chemo does to your body. It's devastating. I think of her children, because when I told mine, there was fear in their eyes. My three all dealt with it differently. It's a huge responsibility for a parent to see what it does to your children. The "woke" conversation bores me to death. People don't want to be naughty any more or push the envelope because everybody's so scared. I idolise Ricky Gerva is because he's so open and fearless. 

Cosmetic surgery turned on me. I went to one very bad doctor. After one operation, I said, "Why is my eye so high on my forehead?" The doctor came out with all this waffle: "Oh, there's just more   swelling on one side of your face." They come up with such bullshit. I had to go through another doctor to change what the previous doctor had done. It was a lesson for me - it's enough. Stop now and be careful what you wish for. Ozzy's Parkinson's has been difficult. It breaks your heart to see somebody you love and adore not being 100 per cent. You feel helpless because you want to help them get better, but there's nothing you can do. It's completely devastating.When I was starting out, nobody wanted to marry footballers because most of them were fugly. Now they're the new rock stars. Before it was just music groupies, but now you've got sports groupies, motor racing groupies, billionaire groupies. I've been on antidepressants for more than 30 years. I often think to myself, God, why can't I be stronger? Why do I need to take this shit? But it's just a fact of life. I'd much rather lie in bed and pull the sheets over my head. But I can't, so I need constant medication. My kids were turning into right little so-and-sos. Our family show wasn't good for them at all. What did I expect 

'I went through cancer, so I'm thinking ofthe Princess of Wales. Chemo is devastating '

You get caught up in all the bullshit in LA. It's a great place to visit and a great place to leave. Now there's so much crime and homeless people everywhere who are so messed up, lost, so high on drugs. Los Angeles used to be fun, free and friendly.It's just not that way any more. It's time to move on. I'm counting the hours till I'm back in the UK.

with the amount of attention and money, plus everybody telling them they weregreat and untouchable? I never fitted in with the other mothers 

at school. I was always the odd one out.I tried for a while at tea mornings andbake sales. But when you're married toOzzy Osbourne in the Eighties and youturn up at school, it's a little awkward.I had to seek therapy when I got bannedby CBS In America. Osbourne lost her jobon The Talk in 2021 after she defendedPiers Morgan's comments about theDuchess of Sussex.] I had to go to therapythree times a week because I was soconfused over it. I go when I can't cope.Getting older sucks. I'm sure I've shrunk.I was 5ft 2in, but now I'm 5ft. The one realjoy is your grandkids. I tell them, "Whatgoes on at Nana's stays at Nana's."

I said yes to Ozzy's marriage proposal,then no ten minutes later. We used tohave legendary arguments, but we've bothmellowed out. Been there, done that, nomore, please. We're working on a movieabout Ozzy's life story, which is difficultbecause his career spans 55 years.Whatever you think of me, whatever yourvlewpoint, It doesn't bother me. I'm nottaking it on board. It's your problem, notmine. I just walk away.

New episodes of The Osbournes Podcast are available every Tuesday on all platforms

The Times Magazine 11

SPINAL COLUMN 脊柱 ПОЗВОНОЧНИК

 SPINAL COLUMN

'Too many young spinal patients are offloaded into care homes. It's barbaric-and a tragedy'

My son spent all of his 20th year visiting me in hospital, almost every day. I always had the same fleeting, visceral thought: Thank goodness, it's him coming to see me, not the other way round. Young sporty men constitute the big majority of spinal cases. All around me in the spinal unit were lovely boys with broken bodies and mothers with broken hearts. Their grief haunted me.

"Three and a half years ago, I heard from a woman whose 20-year-old son, a student at Durham University, was paralysed after a swimming pool accident. Tom Lazarides was a talented, sporty young man. The tragic story of what befell him, and is still happening to others like him, disgraces our healthcare system and recently humbled a government minister in the House of Commons. It needs to be told.

Tom had his accident in June 2020. He was stuck in intensive care in King's College Hospital in London, unable to get a place in Stoke Mandeville spinal unit because bed numbers had been slashed during Covid. Finally, in November, after pressure from MPs, the Spinal Injuries Association, and every big gun, his mother, Bridget, could muster, Tom was moved to the famous center. By then, he was off the ventilator, had a tracheotomy fitted, and was improving. The family knew specialist physiotherapy would keep progress going.

But within six days of Tom's arrival, Bridget was shattered to learn that as soon as he was well enough, he would be discharged to a geriatric care home. This, they told her, was standard for anyone with a high-level neck break - Tom's was cervical level 5. Over my dead body, she said.

The barbaric practice of dumping young spinal tetraplegics and paraplegics in care homes often for more than two years - "warehousing" - continues to this day. A 2015 research paper commissioned by the charity Aspire and led by Professor Brett Smith found that 20 per cent of patients with spinal injuries are discharged from rehab to elderly care homes.

The youngsters expressed compassion, but the confused inmates entered their rooms at night, there was no peer groups support and a lack of specialist care. The environment severely damaged these young men's quality of life, physical health and psychological well-being, leading to embarrassment, loneliness, depression and suicidal thoughts and actions.

Tom's family fundraised and, in January 2021, managed to get him into a rehab center in Sheffield, where he began to regain tiny movement in his hands and arms. The family applied for continuing healthcare funding (CHC) to get him home - an exhausting, secretive, year-long process, which, unbelievably, ignored both Tom's articulate voice and his medical records. This paralysed, immobile boy, his clinical need crystal clear, was asked whether he used a Zimmer frame to walk around the house and to prove he couldn't use his hands.

Four months after the assessment finished, in May 2022, the decision came: he was not eligible. Devastated, the family appealed, another drawn-out process. Unable to see a positive future and beaten down by the struggle, poor Tom died in November 2023, almost certainly, says his mother, from a respiratory cause or associated spinal complication. His appeal was apparently still outstanding.

Except it wasn't. A heartbroken Bridget wrote to me last month to say she'd just been told, four months after his death, that he had qualified for CHC funding - indeed had done so since July 2021. The family's MP, Helen Hayes, held an adjournment debate in the Commons eviscerating the system, at which a sympathetic Helen Whately the social care minister accepted change is necessary. Afterward, she met both Hayes and Bridget.

The spinal community is a small one , bound by shared catastrophe. We are not ill; our brains work, we have much to contribute. With the right support, it is possible to live with independence and dignity. Tom's tragedy affects us all, a scandal of neglect and incompetence. ■

Melanie Reid is tetraplegic after breaking her neck and back in a riding accident in April 2010

The Times Magazine 9

脊柱

“太多年轻的脊柱患者被送往养老院。这太野蛮了，也是一场悲剧”

我儿子 20 岁那年几乎每天都来医院看我。我总是有同样转瞬即逝的本能想法：谢天谢地，是他来看我，而不是我来看他。大多数脊柱病例都是年轻的运动型男性。脊柱病房里，我周围都是身体受伤的可爱男孩和​​心碎的母亲。他们的悲伤萦绕在我心头。

 “三年半前，我听说一位女士说，她 20 岁的儿子是杜伦大学的学生，在一次游泳池事故后瘫痪了。汤姆·拉扎里德斯是一位才华横溢、热爱运动的年轻人。他的悲惨遭遇，以及仍然发生在其他像他一样的人身上的故事，让我们的医疗保健系统蒙羞，最近让下议院的一位政府部长蒙羞。这件事需要被讲述出来。

汤姆于 2020 年 6 月发生意外。他被困在伦敦国王学院医院的重症监护室，由于新冠疫情期间床位数量大幅减少，他无法进入斯托克·曼德维尔脊柱科。最后，在 11 月，在议员、脊髓损伤协会以及他的母亲布里奇特能找到的所有大人物的压力下，汤姆被转移到了这家著名的中心。到那时，他已经脱离了呼吸机，做了气管切开术，病情正在好转。家人知道专科理疗会继续改善病情。

但在出院六天后， 汤姆抵达后，布里奇特得知，只要他恢复得足够好，就会被送往养​​老院，她非常伤心。他们告诉她，这是任何颈部骨折的人的标准处理方式——汤姆的颈部骨折是 5 级。她说，除非从我尸体上跨过去。

将年轻的脊柱四肢瘫痪和截瘫患者扔进养老院，这种野蛮做法通常要持续两年以上——“仓储”——直到今天。2015 年，慈善机构 Aspire 委托 Brett Smith 教授撰写的一份研究报告发现，20% 的脊柱损伤患者从康复中心出院后被送往养老院。

年轻人表达了同情，但困惑的囚犯晚上进入他们的房间，没有同龄人的支持，也缺乏专业护理。这种环境严重损害了这些年轻人的生活质量、身体健康和心理健康，导致他们感到尴尬、孤独、抑郁，甚至产生自杀的想法和行为。

 汤姆的家人筹集了资金，并于 2021 年 1 月成功将他送入谢菲尔德的一家康复中心，在那里，他的手和手臂开始恢复微小的运动能力。为了送他回家，这家人申请了持续的医疗资助 (CHC)——这是一个令人筋疲力尽、秘密且长达一年的过程，令人难以置信的是，这个过程既忽略了汤姆清晰的声音，也忽略了他的医疗记录。这个瘫痪、无法移动的男孩，他的临床需求非常明显，被问及是否使用助行架在家里走动，并证明他不能使用双手。

评估结束四个月后，即 2022 年 5 月，决定来了：他没有资格。悲痛欲绝的家人提起上诉，又是一个漫长的过程。可怜的汤姆看不到积极的未来，被挣扎击垮，于 2023 年 11 月去世，他的母亲说，几乎可以肯定，他死于呼吸系统原因或相关的脊柱并发症。他的上诉显然仍未解决。

但事实并非如此。 上个月，伤心欲绝的布里奇特写信给我说，她刚刚被告知，在他去世四个月后，他有资格获得 CHC 资助——事实上，自 2021 年 7 月以来一直如此。该家庭的议员海伦·海斯在下议院举行了休会辩论，对该系统进行了批判，在辩论中，富有同情心的社会福利部长海伦·沃特利承认有必要进行改变。之后，她会见了海斯和布里奇特。

脊柱社区很小，受到共同灾难的束缚。我们没有生病；我们的大脑在工作，我们可以做出很多贡献。有了正确的支持，我们就可以独立而有尊严地生活。汤姆的悲剧影响到我们所有人，这是一场忽视和无能的丑闻。■

梅兰妮·里德在 2010 年 4 月的一次骑马事故中颈部和背部骨折，导致四肢瘫痪

《泰晤士报》杂志 9

ПОЗВОНОЧНИК

 «Слишком много молодых пациентов с заболеваниями позвоночника отправляют в дома престарелых. Это варварство и трагедия»

 Мой сын провел весь свой 20-й год жизни, навещая меня в больнице, почти каждый день. У меня всегда была одна и та же мимолетная интуитивная мысль: слава богу, это он придет ко мне, а не наоборот. Молодые спортивные мужчины составляют подавляющее большинство случаев заболеваний позвоночника. Вокруг меня в отделении позвоночника были милые мальчики со сломанными телами и матери с разбитыми сердцами. Их горе преследовало меня.

 «Три с половиной года назад я услышал от женщины, чей 20-летний сын, студент Даремского университета, был парализован после несчастного случая в бассейне. Том Лазаридес был талантливым, спортивным молодым человеком. Трагическая история того, что случившееся с ним и до сих пор происходит с другими, подобными ему, позорит нашу систему здравоохранения и недавно унизило министра правительства в Палате общин. Об этом нужно сказать.

 С Томом произошел несчастный случай в июне 2020 года. Он застрял в отделении интенсивной терапии в больнице Королевского колледжа в Лондоне, не имея возможности получить место в спинальном отделении Сток-Мандевилля, потому что во время Covid количество коек сократилось. Наконец, в ноябре, после давления со стороны членов парламента, Ассоциации травм позвоночника и всех мощных стрелков, которые могла собрать его мать Бриджит, Тома перевели в знаменитый центр. К тому времени его отключили от аппарата искусственной вентиляции легких, установили трахеотомию, и его состояние поправлялось. Семья знала, что профессиональная физиотерапия будет способствовать прогрессу.

 Но через шесть дней после прибытия Тома Бриджит была потрясена, узнав, что, как только он поправится, его выпишут в дом престарелых. Они сказали ей, что это стандартно для любого, у кого серьезный перелом шеи - у Тома был перелом шейки матки 5-го уровня. "Над моим трупом", - сказала она.

 Варварская практика помещения молодых людей со спинальной тетраплегией и параплегией в дома престарелых, зачастую на срок более двух лет – «складирование» – продолжается и по сей день. Исследование, проведенное в 2015 году по заказу благотворительной организации Aspire под руководством профессора Бретта Смита, показало, что 20 процентов пациентов с травмами позвоночника выписывают из реабилитационных центров в дома престарелых.

 Молодые люди выражали сострадание, но растерянные заключенные приходили в их комнаты по ночам, не было никакой поддержки со стороны сверстников и отсутствия специализированной помощи. Окружающая среда серьезно ухудшила качество жизни, физическое здоровье и психологическое благополучие этих молодых людей, что привело к смущению, одиночеству, депрессии и суицидальным мыслям и действиям.

 Семья Тома собрала средства, и в январе 2021 года сумела доставить его в реабилитационный центр в Шеффилде, где у него начали восстанавливаться незначительные движения в руках. Семья подала заявку на продолжение финансирования здравоохранения (CHC), чтобы вернуть его домой - изнурительный, секретный, годичный процесс, который, что невероятно, игнорировал как четко сформулированный голос Тома, так и его медицинские записи. Этого парализованного, неподвижного мальчика, его клиническая потребность была кристально ясна, спросили , использовал ли он раму Циммера, чтобы ходить по дому и доказывать, что он не может пользоваться руками.

 Через четыре месяца после завершения оценки, в мае 2022 года, было принято решение: он не имеет права на участие. Опустошенная семья подала апелляцию, и это был еще один затянувшийся процесс. Не видя позитивного будущего и измученный борьбой, бедный Том умер в ноябре 2023 года, почти наверняка, говорит его мать, от респираторного заболевания или связанного с ним осложнения позвоночника. Его апелляция, по-видимому, все еще рассматривалась.

 Но это было не так. Убитая горем Бриджит написала мне в прошлом месяце и сообщила, что ей только что, через четыре месяца после его смерти, сказали, что он имеет право на финансирование CHC - и действительно делал это с июля 2021 года. Член парламента от семьи Хелен Хейс провела дебаты о переносе в палате общин, разрушающей систему, в которой сочувствующая Хелен Уэйтли, министр социальной защиты, приняла изменения, необходимы. После этого она встретила Хейса и Бриджит.

 Сообщество позвоночника маленькое, объединенное общей катастрофой. Мы не больны; наш мозг работает, мы можем многое внести. При правильной поддержке можно жить независимо и достойно. Трагедия Тома затрагивает всех нас, скандал пренебрежения и некомпетентности. ■

 Мелани Рид страдает тетраплегией после того, как сломала шею и спину в результате несчастного случая при езде в апреле 2010 года.

 Журнал "Таймс" 9

Sport Shorts ; Rock Shorts ; Boat Shorts

Women prepare for Leg Season as if it's the Olympics. Men just stop wearing trousers

I saw a couple of outliers in early March - you know, when we had those two sunny days. But it kicked off in earnest over the Easter holiday weekend - that was the beginning of the official Middle-Aged Men's Leg Season.

It didn't matter that it was still, by and large, pretty cold and wet. The Easter weekend was when ageing mankind seemed to consult its almanac and say, "This is the time marked for the sowing of crops and also the beginning of shorts. We will pay no heed to the weather. Middle-Aged Men's Leg Season must commence - and now."

Men's leg seasons are different from women's leg seasons in that they can start overnight. For women, "getting your legs out" is like the Olympics: you don't just rock up in Paris on a whim and take part in a pole vault. You have to train. You have to prepare. There will be a month of "leg days" at the gym followed by a minimum of one week of depilation, exfoliation, fake tanning and moisturising. If you observe the general populace, women as yet have not got their legs out. We are still prepping them. We're in lengthy training, like Team GB or a football squad, so that we can start the play-offs some time in early May.

Forty-plus dads on the other hand? They simply... stop wearing trousers.Whatever has been under that moleskin for the past six months is suddenly just boldly and freely exposed both to the elements and to the eye - no humectant marinating necessary beforehand. Almost as if legs were a totally normal body part that needn't inspire a terror of judgment.

And while every year comes with a different leg-revealing fashion for women when the time comes in 2024, will it be denim cut-offs? A ra-ra skirt? A playsuit?Cycling shorts? - with dads there are only three options, all shorts, never changing and fixed to your essential nature.

1. Sporty Shorts. Made from some modern technical wicking fabric about which the purchaser is well informed - and can expound at great length - Sporty Shorts are worn by Sporty Dads. Usually quite short - merely a risky inch or so lower than the end of the testicles - the gauzily insubstantial nature of Sporty Shorts means that in a strong wind the silhouette of men's genitals becomes hauntingly apparent: like Han Solo's screaming face entombed in carbonite.

Perhaps in acknowledgment of this, Sporty Shorts are often double-bagged: a second, tighter, longer pair of cycling shorts worn underneath, extending halfway down the thigh. As you would expect, Sporty Shorts are sported by men on the way to the gym, on the way back from the gym, while drinking a flat white at an outdoor café as the breeze threatens to reveal their testicles, and while cycling with their three young capable sons up a mountain while shouting, "Smith family peloton - sprint finish!"

2. Rock Shorts. Worn by those who look like the world's most capable and fun men - roadies - Rock Shorts are the choice of those dads who are bearded, tattooed, chunky and out for a good time. As befits the practical nature of the roadie, Rock Shorts are very rarely purchased. Instead they are made: an old pair of black jeans have the legs sawn - or possibly bitten - off just below the knee. These shorts will be accessorised with long keychains, a big pair of boots and a vape the size of a clarinet. Rock Shorts can and will be worn anywhere: festival; beach in Spain; weddings; funerals. When worn with a matching black band T-shirt they are the Alternative Gentleman's Summer Suit.

3. Boat Shorts. These are more a state of mind than an actual "indicator of boats" in the life of the wearer. The wearer might not like boats or, indeed, may actively hate them. However, when a middle-class man purchases a pair of slightly crumpled pale pink linen shorts and pairs them with a pale blue short-sleeved shirt and a hat, it does make him, in the words of Carly Simon, look as if he's just walking on to a yacht. The natural shoe accompaniment to this primrose-coloured flip-flops - only adds to the effect.

Men can choose from: Sporty Shorts (ending just belowthe testicles), RockShorts (jeans bitten off at the knee), BoatShorts (there is no need to like boats)

The best Boat Shorts I have seen were on a dad blocking the entire Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal by attempting a three-point-turn in a holiday barge. When I asked him why, he explained that Google Maps had just shown him there was a Waitrose in Abergavenny and he was out of sancerre. It was February and his legs were very tanned. I presume he'd been sailing since the last Middle-Aged Men's Leg Season, looking for landfall and high-quality wines. For this is the nature of men and their shorts. They are unstoppable. ■

The Times Magazine 7

Les femmes se préparent pour la saison des jambes comme s'il s'agissait des Jeux olympiques. Les hommes arrêtent de porter des pantalons

 J'ai vu quelques valeurs aberrantes début mars - vous savez, lorsque nous avons eu ces deux jours ensoleillés. Mais cela a véritablement démarré pendant le week-end de Pâques - c'était le début de la saison officielle des jambes des hommes d'âge moyen.

 Peu importe qu’il fasse encore, dans l’ensemble, assez froid et humide. Le week-end de Pâques était le moment où l'humanité vieillissante semblait consulter son almanach et dire : " C'est le moment marqué pour les semailles et aussi pour le début des courts métrages. Nous ne prêterons aucune attention à la météo. La saison des jambes des hommes d'âge moyen doit commencer. - et maintenant."

 Les saisons des jambes des hommes sont différentes de celles des femmes dans le sens où elles peuvent commencer du jour au lendemain. Pour les femmes, « sortir les jambes », c'est comme aux JO : on ne se déchaîne pas à Paris sur un coup de tête pour participer à un saut à la perche. Il faut s'entraîner. Il faut se préparer. Il y aura un mois de « journées jambes » à la salle de sport suivi d'un minimum d'une semaine d'épilation, d'exfoliation, de faux bronzage et d'hydratation. Si vous observez la population en général, les femmes n'ont pas encore sorti leurs jambes. Nous sommes encore en train de les préparer. Nous suivons un long entraînement, comme l'équipe de Grande-Bretagne ou une équipe de football, afin de pouvoir commencer les barrages début mai.

 Par contre, des papas de plus de quarante ans ? Ils arrêtent simplement de porter des pantalons. Tout ce qui se trouvait sous cette moleskine au cours des six derniers mois est soudainement exposé librement et audacieusement aux éléments et à l'œil - aucune marinade humectante n'est nécessaire au préalable. Presque comme si les jambes étaient une partie du corps tout à fait normale qui ne devait pas inspirer la terreur du jugement.

 Et même si chaque année s'accompagne d'une mode différente révélant les jambes des femmes en 2024, s'agira-t-il de jeans coupés ? Une jupe ra-ra ? Une combishort ? Un short de cyclisme ? - avec les papas, il n'y a que trois options, toutes des shorts, jamais changeantes et fixées à votre nature essentielle.

 1. Short sportif. Fabriqués à partir d'un tissu technique moderne sur lequel l'acheteur est bien informé - et peut expliquer en détail - les shorts sportifs sont portés par les papas sportifs. Habituellement assez courts - à peine quelques centimètres plus bas que l'extrémité des testicules - la nature vaporeuse et insubstantielle des shorts sportifs signifie que par vent fort, la silhouette des organes génitaux des hommes devient obsédante : comme le visage hurlant de Han Solo enseveli dans la carbonite.

 C'est peut-être pour cela que les shorts de sport sont souvent emballés dans un double emballage : un deuxième short de cyclisme, plus serré et plus long, porté en dessous, s'étendant à mi-cuisse. Comme on peut s'y attendre, les hommes portent des shorts de sport sur le chemin de la salle de sport, au retour de la salle de sport, en buvant un flat white à la terrasse d'un café alors que la brise menace de révéler leurs testicules, et en faisant du vélo avec leurs trois de jeunes fils capables gravissant une montagne en criant : « Peloton de la famille Smith – arrivée du sprint !

 2. Short rock. Portés par ceux qui ressemblent aux hommes les plus compétents et les plus amusants du monde - les roadies - les Rock Shorts sont le choix de ces papas barbus, tatoués, trapus et qui sortent pour passer un bon moment. Comme il sied au caractère pratique du roadie, les Rock Shorts sont très rarement achetés. Au lieu de cela, ils sont fabriqués : un vieux jean noir dont les jambes ont été sciées - ou éventuellement mordues - juste en dessous du genou. Ce short sera accessoirisé de longs porte-clés, d'une grosse paire de bottes et d'une vape de la taille d'une clarinette. Les Rock Shorts peuvent et seront portés n'importe où : festival ; plage en Espagne ; mariages; funérailles. Lorsqu'ils sont portés avec un t-shirt à bande noire assorti, ils constituent le costume d'été alternatif pour gentleman.

 3. Short bateau. Il s'agit plus d'un état d'esprit que d'un véritable « indicateur de bateaux » dans la vie de celui qui les porte. Le porteur peut ne pas aimer les bateaux ou même les détester activement. Cependant, lorsqu'un homme de la classe moyenne achète un short en lin rose pâle légèrement froissé et l'associe à une chemise à manches courtes bleu pâle et un chapeau, cela lui donne, selon les mots de Carly Simon, l'air d'être simplement marcher sur un yacht. L'accompagnement naturel des chaussures de ces tongs couleur primevère ne fait qu'ajouter à l'effet.

 Les hommes ont le choix entre : Sporty Shorts (terminant juste en dessous des testicules), RockShorts (jean arraché au genou), BoatShorts (inutile d'aimer les bateaux)

 Les meilleurs shorts de bateau que j'ai vus concernaient un père bloquant tout le canal du Monmouthshire et de Brecon en tentant un virage à trois points dans une barge de vacances. Quand je lui ai demandé pourquoi, il m'a expliqué que Google Maps venait de lui montrer qu'il y avait un Waitrose à Abergavenny et qu'il n'était plus à Sancerre. C'était en février et ses jambes étaient très bronzées. Je présume qu'il naviguait depuis la dernière saison des jambes des hommes d'âge moyen, à la recherche de vins de grande qualité. Car telle est la nature des hommes et de leurs shorts. Ils sont imparables. ■

 Le Times Magazine 7

女人为腿部运动季做准备，就好像这是奥运会一样。男人不再穿裤子

我在三月初看到了一些异常情况——你知道，当时我们有两天阳光明媚。但它在复活节假期周末正式拉开帷幕——这是正式的中年男人腿部运动季的开始。

总的来说，天气仍然很冷，很潮湿，但这并不重要。在复活节周末，衰老的人类似乎查阅了年历，说：“这是播种庄稼的时间，也是开始穿短裤的时间。我们不会理会天气。中年男人的腿部运动季必须开始——现在。”

男人的腿部运动季与女人的腿部运动季不同，因为它们可以在一夜之间开始。对于女性来说，“伸出你的腿”就像奥运会一样：你不能一时兴起就去巴黎参加撑杆跳比赛。你必须训练。你必须做好准备。 健身房将进行为期一个月的“腿部锻炼日”，随后进行至少一周的脱毛、去角质、假晒黑和保湿。如果你观察一下普通民众，就会发现女性至今还没有露出双腿。我们仍在为她们做准备。我们正在进行长时间的训练，就像英国队或足球队一样，这样我们就能在五月初的某个时候开始季后赛。

另一方面，四十多岁的爸爸呢？他们只是……不再穿裤子了。过去六个月里，那件厚厚的衣服突然间就大胆而自由地暴露在空气和眼睛中——事先不需要保湿剂浸泡。就好像腿是一个完全正常的身体部位，不需要引起恐惧的判断。

虽然每年都会出现一种不同的女性露腿时尚，但到了 2024 年，它会是牛仔短裤吗？一条啦啦队裙？连身裤？还是骑行短裤？ - 爸爸只有三种选择，都是短裤，永不改变，并固定在你的本质特征上。

1. 运动短裤。  由一些现代技术吸湿排汗面料制成，购买者对此了如指掌 - 并且可以详细阐述 - 运动型爸爸穿运动短裤。通常很短 - 仅比睾丸末端低一英寸左右 - 运动短裤薄如蝉翼的本质意味着在强风中，男性生殖器的轮廓变得令人难以忘怀：就像汉索罗被埋在碳酸盐中的尖叫脸。

也许是为了承认这一点，运动短裤通常有双层包装：里面穿第二条更紧、更长的骑行短裤，延伸到大腿一半。 正如您所料，运动短裤是男士们在去健身房的路上、从健身房回来的路上、在户外咖啡馆喝白咖啡时（微风吹得他们睾丸都快露了出来）以及在骑车带着三个能干的儿子上山时大喊“史密斯家族大部队——冲刺结束！”时所穿的。

2. 摇滚短裤。摇滚短裤的穿着者是那些看起来像世界上最能干、最有趣的男人——公路自行车手——那些留着胡子、身上有纹身、身材魁梧、喜欢出去玩的父亲们的选择。由于公路自行车手的实用性，摇滚短裤很少被购买。相反，它们是被制作出来的：一条旧的黑色牛仔裤，裤腿在膝盖以下被锯掉——或者可能被咬掉。这些短裤将搭配长钥匙链、一双大靴子和一个单簧管大小的电子烟。摇滚短裤可以在任何地方穿着：节日、西班牙海滩、婚礼、葬礼。 搭配同款黑色条纹 T 恤，它们就是另类绅士夏季套装。

3. 船短裤。这更像是一种心态，而不是穿着者生活中真正的“船的标志”。穿着者可能不喜欢船，甚至可能非常讨厌船。然而，当一个中产阶级男人购买一条略带皱巴巴的浅粉色亚麻短裤，搭配一件浅蓝色短袖衬衫和一顶帽子时，用卡莉·西蒙的话来说，这确实让他看起来就像刚走上游艇。这双樱草色人字拖鞋的自然搭配——只会增加效果。

 男士可以选择：运动短裤（长度刚好到睾丸下方）、摇滚短裤（膝盖处咬断的牛仔裤）、船形短裤（没必要喜欢船）

我见过的最好的船形短裤是在一个父亲试图在一艘假日驳船上进行三点转弯时，他阻塞了整个蒙茅斯郡和布雷肯运河。当我问他为什么时，他解释说，谷歌地图刚刚向他展示了阿伯加文尼的一家 Waitrose，而他没有桑塞尔。当时是二月，他的腿晒得很黑。我猜他从上一个中年男人腿部季节开始就一直在航行，寻找登陆点和高品质的葡萄酒。因为这是男人和他们的短裤的天性。他们是不可阻挡的。■

《时代杂志》7

q - words with letter q

● 15 letter words with the letter q:

inconsequential ⁰¹

quatercentenary.⁰²

sesquicentenary

inquisitiveness

inquisitorially

gyrofrequencies

grandiloquences

grandiloquently

grotesquenesses

equitablenesses

equivocalnesses

exquisitenesses

equalitarianism

demisemiquavers

disequilibriums

disequilibrated

disequilibrates

acquisitiveness

antiquarianisms

colloquialitiescounterquestion

consequentially

churrigueresque

querulousnesses

quantifications

quarterfinalist

quarrelsomeness

quadruplicating

quadruplication

quadruplicities

quintuplicating

quincentennials

quincentenaries

picturesqueness

microearthquake

microtechniques

nonquantifiablenonquantitativenonuniquenesses

nonequivalences

sesquicarbonate

sculpturesquely

relinquishments

requisitenesses

squeamishnesses

squeezabilities

unquestioningly

ventriloquially

ventriloquistic

ventriloquizing

●14 letter words with the letter q

quintessential

unquestionable

disequilibrium

unquantifiable

quincentennial

grandiloquence

sesquipedalian

disequilibrate

demisemiquaver

deliquescences

disquantitying

headquartering

frequentatives

frequentnesses

frequentations

equilibrations

equivocalities

equitabilities

biuniquenesses

conquistadores

colloquialisms

coquettishness

cliquishnesses

cinquecentists

aquaculturists

antiquarianism

anthraquinones

adequatenesses

inadequateness

inconsequences

inconsequently

iniquitousness

loquaciousness

magniloquences

magniloquently

quindecillions

quintillionths

quintuplicated

quintuplicates

quinquennially

quizzicalities

quasiparticles

questionnaires

qualmishnesses

quantitatively

quantification

quartermasters

quarterbacking

qualifications

quadruplicated

quadruplicates

quadrumvirates

quadrilaterals

quadrillionths

plastoquinones

microtechnique

nonacquisitive

nonequivalence

nondelinquents

obsequiousness

sesquiterpenes

sequestrations

requisitioning

relinquishment

reacquisitions

squarishnesses

ubiquitousness

tranquillities

tranquillizers

tranquillizing

tranquilnesses

unquestionably

ventriloquized

ventriloquizes

ventriloquisms

ventriloquists

● 13 letter words with the letter q

qualification

questionnaire

consequential

sequestration

unquestioning

quartermaster

ventriloquist

inquisitorial

quadrilateral

quadripartite

ventriloquism

unconquerable

overqualified

colloquialism

quincentenary

quadruplicate

anthraquinone

equipotential

quadrillionth

sesquiterpene

ventriloquize

sculpturesque

quasiparticle

quadrumvirate

quintuplicate

unpicturesque

frequentative

cinquecentist

quintillionth

quindecillion

cinematheques

colloquiality

conquistadors

brusquenesses

acquisitional

acquisitively

acquaintances

acquiescently

acquiescences

aquaculturist

frequentation

grotesqueries

grotesqueness

grandiloquent

headquartered

harquebusiers

harlequinades

gyrofrequency

equiponderant

equipollently

equipollences

equitableness

equivocations

equivocalness

equivalencies

equilibristic

equilibrating

equilibration

equilibrators

equilibratory

equidistantly

equestriennes

exquisiteness

equalizations

equalitarians

equablenesses

disquisitions

disquietingly

disqualifying

disquantitied

disquantities

disequilibria

desquamations

deliquescence

delinquencies

inquisitively

inquisitional

inconsequence

infrequencies

illiquidities

hydroquinones

liquefactions

magniloquence

quintessences

quinquenniums

quinquennials

quotabilities

quadrivalents

quadriphonics

quadriplegics

quadriplegias

quadrennially

quadruplicity

quarterstaves

quarterfinals

quarterbacked

quarrelsomely

qualitatively

●12 letter words with the letter q

headquarters

consequently

quantitative

questionable

prerequisite

acquaintance

quarterfinal

tranquillity

acquiescence

unquestioned

cinematheque

quadriplegia

equivocation

quintessence

hydroquinone

quattrocento

unquenchable

tranquilizer

liquefaction

conquistador

unacquainted

disquisition

quinquennial

quadraphonic

quadrivalent

harlequinade

unfrequented

quasicrystal

equalitarian

methaqualone

equestrienne

equilibrator

magniloquent

inconsequent

quinquennium

forequarters

quarterstaff

unnilquadium

equiprobable

quadrumanous

quadriphonic

pasqueflower

acquisitions

adequateness

acquittances

acquirements

antiquations

antiquarians

antimosquito

aquacultural

aquacultures

aquarellists

aquilinities

aquatintists

aquicultures

colloquially

consequences

coquettishly

corequisites

cliquishness

cinquecentos

coequalities

chloroquines

biuniqueness

biquadratics

barquentines

equipollence

equipollents

equitability

equivocators

equivocating

equivocality

equivalently

equivalences

equilibrants

equilibrated

equilibrates

equilibrists

equilibriums

equinoctials

equationally

harquebusier

grotesquerie

frequentness

equalization

equanimities

equabilities

disquietudes

desquamating

desquamation

disqualifies

disqualified

discotheques

delinquently

deliquescent

deliquescing

croquignoles

inadequately

● 11 letter words with the letter q

acquisition

requirement

consequence

qualitative

equilibrium

delinquency

picturesque

quarterback

unqualified

unequivocal

equivalence

equivalency

inquisitive

inquisition

requisition

inequitable

racquetball

acquisitive

antiquarian

quicksilver

quadrennial

headquarter

quarterdeck

aquaculture

maquiladora

equidistant

quarrelsome

cinquecento

discotheque

equilateral

acquiescent

quadrillion

chloroquine

equilibrate

propinquity

unconquered

liquidambar

tranquilize

quintillion

squirearchy

disquietude

grotesquery

acquirement

quadrennium

equinoctial

lacquerware

semiaquatic

gigantesque

subsequence

soliloquize

ventriloquy

terraqueous

aquafarming

biquadratic

hindquarter

quacksalver

sequestrate

inequivalve

marquisette

barquentine

aquiculture

acquittance

equilibrist

equiangular

equipollent

forequarter

questionary

quincunxial

quincuncial

triquetrous

exquisitely

equipoising

equitations

equivalents

equivocally

equivocated

equivocates

equivocator

equestrians

equatorward

equicaloric

equilibrant

frequenting

frequenters

frequentest

frequencies

grotesquely

harquebuses

earthquakes

equableness

disquantity

disquieting

desquamated

desquamates

deliquesced

delinquents

deliquesces

croquignole

●10 letter words with the letter q

subsequent

frequently

equivalent

inadequate

sequential

earthquake

ubiquitous

inequality

consequent

delinquent

acquainted

inadequacy

infrequent

relinquish

equestrian

antiquated

quarantine

equatorial

quadriceps

masquerade

disqualify

colloquial

communique

quaternary

chautauqua

equanimity

radiopaque

unrequited

quadrature

quadrangle

colloquium

inquisitor

quadrupole

aquamarine

statuesque

obsequious

quesadilla

picaresque

loquacious

tourniquet

foursquare

iniquitous

quantitate

reacquaint

perquisite

quantifier

netiquette

equivocate

quizmaster

equitation

roquelaure

squirrelly

soubriquet

quadrivium

ubiquinone

quaternion

quinacrine

quadruplet

subaqueous

semiliquid

requiescat

chinquapin

catafalque

cinquefoil

quatrefoil

maquillage

ineloquent

humoresque

pasquinade

sequestrum

liquescent

blanquette

desquamate

quintuplet

deliquesce

marquisate

inquietude

quadratics

rainsquall

lambrequin

brusquerie

quarterage

quercitron

semiopaque

semiquaver

sequacious

squirarchy

squeteague

squamation

squamulose

usquebaugh

caciquisms

burlesqued

burlesquer

burlesques

briquetted

briquettes

bequeathed

bequeathal

●9 letter words with the letter q

equipment

qualified

frequency

quarterly

technique

liquidity

equitable

quotation

requisite

exquisite

antiquity

qualifier

grotesque

unequaled

etiquette

quadruple

turquoise

exchequer

liquidate

eloquence

acquittal

harlequin

quiescent

equivocal

equalizer

quadratic

acquiesce

squeamish

quizzical

reacquire

soliloquy

burlesque

quicksand

enquiring

arabesque

mannequin

sequencer

sequester

quotidian

reliquary

quartzite

chequered

sobriquet

quintuple

marquetry

querulous

colloquia

quadruped

monocoque

banquette

liquorice

reconquer

briquette

antiquary

equimolar

quinidine

obliquity

antiquark

pipsqueak

odalisque

equipoise

quercetin

quicklime

plastique

aquilegia

quadrille

quickstep

frequence

quinoline

quitclaim

queenship

croquette

aquarelle

becquerel

palanquin

equisetum

parquetry

quebracho

dacquoise

reliquiae

antiquate

quodlibet

sequestra

squawfish

equivoque

liquidize

quillwork

exequatur

clinquant

quillback

quittance

squamosal

aquaplane

harquebus

liquorish

inquiline

quillwort

quinonoid

queenside

quarryman

● 8 letter words with the letter q

required

question

acquired

adequate

frequent

sequence

quantity

equation

equality

critique

squadron

aquarium

quantify

conquest

boutique

squarely

eloquent

mosquito

quadrant

tranquil

squirrel

mystique

mesquite

aqueduct

physique

quotient

ubiquity

quandary

squamous

quagmire

acquaint

squabble

inequity

illiquid

disquiet

jacquard

quartile

equalize

squander

quixotic

marquess

quilting

iniquity

bequeath

quotable

quayside

quintile

racquets

aquiline

vanquish

applique

unquoted

marquise

colloquy

squeegee

quatrain

squiggle

squarish

coquette

paraquat

quartier

quietude

quisling

quenelle

quatorze

quadriga

quidnunc

quantile

misquote

coquille

pratique

daiquiri

taqueria

aquatint

squeaker

maquette

quietism

equitant

quickset

remarque

quadroon

aquarist

quinella

squalene

roquette

aqualung

moquette

quiddity

equipage

coquetry

cinquain

aquanaut

quipster

quintain

quincunx

quiniela

aequorin

musquash

arquebus

henequen

7 letter words with the letter q

quality

quarter

require

request

acquire

inquiry

qualify

quantum

squeeze

antique

banquet

quartet

aquatic

enquiry

marquis

unequal

marquee

baroque

bouquet

conquer

inquire

quarrel

sequoia

sequent

quicken

esquire

oblique

equator

aqueous

inquest

quintet

bequest

aquifer

squalor

requiem

tequila

squeaky

squalid

quibble

lacquer

liqueur

enquire

racquet

croquet

equinox

parquet

brusque

piquant

quickie

quinine

squelch

aliquot

unquote

prequel

quetzal

torques

macaque

aquaria

liquefy

squishy

equable

quitter

jonquil

vaquero

unquiet

sequela

cacique

aquavit

quinone

maquila

quieten

obloquy

quondam

quantal

kumquat

quintal

coquina

quantic

coequal

requite

liquify

squashy

queenly

squatty

chequer

bosquet

acequia

equerry

squilla

picquet

quadrat

coquito

quietus

squinch

equites

quartan

bezique

aquiver

quadric

quartic

● 6 letter words with the letter q

unique

square

equity

liquid

quartz

torque

plaque

liquor

quarry

sequel

squash

cheque

opaque

equate

mosque

quaint

squire

quorum

basque

equine

quinta

squeak

squirt

quiver

clique

quasar

cirque

quench

quanta

queasy

squeal

squirm

squint

quiche

acquit

masque

squawk

quarto

squall

marque

quince

cinque

quokka

risque

bisque

quinte

sequin

piquet

quinoa

barque

quaver

maquis

quango

squish

manque

claque

quaich

quahog

loquat

quagga

diquat

quinsy

casque

pulque

squama

coquet

qiviut

roquet

caique

calque

exequy

qintar

quinol

quitch

quelea

squark

sheqel

squill

cloque

qubyte

quaggy

quotha

sacque

cliquy

burqas

bosque

faqirs

faquir

equids

equips

equals

quoted

quoter

quotes

quotas

quoins

quoits

quolls

quohog

●5 letter words with the letter q

quite

quick

equal

quiet

queen

quote

squad

quest

query

queue

quota

equip

queer

squat

quake

quilt

quell

quasi

squid

quits

quirk

quail

quill

quart

quark

quack

pique

quash

quint

squaw

quant

roque

squib

quale

qualm

qubit

quire

toque

quoth

tuque

squab

quiff

quaff

quoin

aquae

quern

quoll

qanat

quipu

equid

quean

quirt

maqui

quoit

faqir

fique

aquas

burqa

quods

quips

quins

quids

quays

quass

quate

queys

quads

quaky

quais

quags

quare

qaids

qadis

qophs

squeg

umiaq

tranq

usque

●4 letter words with the letter q

quit

quiz

quid

quad

quay

aqua

quip

quin

quod

quag

qoph

qadi

qats

qaid

quai

quey

suqs

● 3 letter words with the letter q

qua

suq

qis

qat

● 2 letter words with the letter q

qi

Notes :

⁰¹ inconsequential

adjective

1. Lacking importance.

2. Not following from premises or evidence; illogical.

3. Not regularly following from the premises; hence, irrelevant; unimportant; of no consequence; of no significance.

Similar: unimportant

⁰²