SEMANTIC ENIGMAS"Avon" is a Celtic word for "river" (viz Welsh afon); "llama" is the third person singular of the Spanish verb "to be called or named"; "kangaroo" (I believe) is an Aborigine term meaning "I don't know". What other names have have arisen from the apparent misunderstanding of a native's answer to a curious foreigner? Jon Riley, London W5 The French word 'vasistas' means fanlight or roof window and is a corruption of the German 'wass ist das' (what is that?

The 21st-century yokelLife and styleDistracted by animals in the house and struggling to write, I set out in the fresh Devon air – and was inspired by a one-eyed zombie seaweed snake It’s fair to say that it had not been my best morning. I had smacked my head pretty hard on a ceiling beam, a jackdaw had flown down the chimney while I was cleaning my teeth in the kitchen sink, and I had reached a tricky passage towards the end of my new book.

Graphic novel of the monthComics and graphic novelsReviewThis rip-roaring graphic retelling of the Aldous Huxley classic brings to mind Fritz Lang, Spielberg and vintage comics A certain weariness came over me at the prospect of this adaptation of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World; I’m not much in the mood for dystopian doom and gloom right now. But I was wrong to be chary: this is a book that will keep your bedside light burning long into the night.

UK news This article is more than 15 years oldDrunk pony rescued from swimming poolThis article is more than 15 years oldA drunk pony was rescued from a swimming pool after gorging on fermented apples and falling into the water. The pony, called Fat Boy, broke in to Sarah Penhaligon's garden in Newquay, Cornwall, to get to the fruit, which had fallen from trees. He ate so many apples that he became confused.

MusicInterview‘It’s like we just fell on to this planet’: the rise of psych-rockers KhruangbinAmmar KaliaHow the Texan trio’s woozy sound, inspired by Thailand, Mexico and west Africa, perfected the art of ‘Earth music’ Onstage, the Texan trio Khruangbin are a strange sight to behold. At their sold-out show at London’s near-5,000 capacity O2 Academy Brixton last December, guitarist Mark Speer and bassist Laura Lee, dressed in long, black, heavily fringed wigs, sway in unison, while bald drummer DJ Johnson sits calmly in his poncho, pensively holding the groove.