My Apologies To British Readers

I received an email from a man living in France the other day in response to a column that I wrote last week that was published in the Portsmouth Herald and on the worldwide web on seacoastonline.com.

The column was headlined "From Bonking to Texting to ...." The "Bonking" referred to caveman days when a male "suitor" would club a woman over the head and drag her back to his cave.

But my European reader pointed out that in Great Britain the term "bonking" is an euphemism for sexual intercourse. He quoted a line from a movie (that happens to be one of favorites), "Love Actually." In that movie one "bloke" who has become engaged says to his fiance "Now we can bonk for real!"

So to all of my British readers I offer my sincere apologies. And a special thanks to the reader who was not offended, but just wanted to point out my "error."