Round robins

At this time of year when Christmas cards arrive on our doormats some of them contain letters from friends bringing their news and what their families have been doing in the past year. Some recipients don’t like these letters, so-called round robins, and I think this might be because some people seem to be boasting or bragging about their amazing children’s amazing achievements and their amazing holidays in amazing places…

I’m always eased to receive my friends news and find out what they have been doing over the year… we have a very elderly friend, well into her nineties who writes each year with news of her children and grandchildren and its lovely to know they are doing so well and are happy with their lives. I write letter too, individual ones, and I type them because my handwriting to be frank is so ghastly even I can’t read it!

I got to wondering where the term round robin came from, wondering if maybe it was to do with postmen who first wore red uniforms… I was quite wrong on that one. Round robin is a nautical term, and it comes from a letter the crew might send to a captain with a complaint; their names would be signed in a circle so no-one could be accused of being the leader. I know our English language is full of maritime terms which have sneaked into our language, but i didn’t realise that was one of them!