"Doing a spot of spring cleaning this week I came across a 1998 edition of the Sydney Public Transport Directory," writes Jennifer Summers, of Coogee. "It's encouraging to learn that, 'by 2002, one ticket will be able to be used on buses, trains and ferries across Sydney.' What vision!" This brings up the whole subject of spring cleaning. Do we still do it, and if so, how intense does it get?

Compass points and surnames, Part II: "After reading Nicole West's question on Saturday, I went to the Pacific Bell White Pages for Sacramento, California," reports Andy Banta, of Orangevale, over there, "and found the following results for people with direction names: East 9, North 11, South 4 and West 166." It looks like Nicole was on to something.

"Thanks, Column 8, for the lead in on the Commonwealth Star, Alpha Centauri," writes a grateful John Kingsmill, of Fairlight. "This is where the TV family Robinson were heading to in Lost In Space, before Dr Smith disrupted their plans, and I have been waiting 40 years to work it into the conversation." But John, where did they wind up in the end? Tau Ceti? Epsilon Eridani? It had to be a nearby G-type star, surely?

We have no choice but to award the 2008 C8PhD for pedantry to Ian Ross, of Gymea, for this astonishing effort: "Whilst not wishing to attract pedant of the year status [well, you're gone on that one, sunshine], I feel compelled to request the journalistic burial for the 'foot' which should have occurred 33 years ago on the arrival of metricification. Various media including the hallowed Herald continue to refer to 'security footage' in stories, when 'security vision' would provide a more than adequate description. Given that the majority of such video is now stored as digital video files which are measured in bytes and not feet, the justification to move ahead is compelling."

Statistics can get the better of you. "OK, you asked for it!" huffs Don Hartley, of Balmain. "If 50 per cent of Australian marriages end in death[Column 8, Friday], does that mean that only 50 per cent of married couples are alive at the moment?" We say … maybe.

"Baobab trees are called baobab trees in Tanzania and Kenya because that is their original and correct name," insists Garry Smith, of Gloucester (Column 8, Saturday). "Boab came into use in error, possibly by those who couldn't handle the extra syllable. There are many examples of incorrect usage in natural science becoming 'correct' - the switch around of the names for the staghorn and elkhorn fern come quickly to mind." A point well made.

"'Fess up?" harrumphs Brian Himsley, of Waitakere City, NZ. "With 'fess [Column 8, Saturday] being a contraction of confess, and the apostrophe denoting the silent con, is Column 8 really saying 'confess up'? Surely, if Column 8 wishes to stoop to this kind of language, it should forget the apostrophe. Don't attempt to correct the incorrectible." Actually, the subs did it. We don't argue with them. It gets very ugly, very quickly.

Column8@smh.com.au(no attachments please).Phone 9282 2207 fax 9282 2772. (include name, suburb, daytime phone)