There are some words which are only ever used in the context of retail, and I think we can all just about cope with that: millinery and lingerie may be silly words, but they don’t do anyone any harm, and I can even look for the “feminine hygiene” section in Boots without getting too distressed. But outside a GPs surgery that I passed this morning was a sign saying “Free oral hygiene pack for every new patient”. A free what? Do they mean a toothbrush? Perhaps a toothpaste/mouthwash combination? There’s no way of knowing, and no reason on earth not to have said what they really meant in the first place.
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