Scrimp began as an adjective - meaning scant - in the early 18th century (missed by Johnson), and is probably from the Middle German schrimpfen for shrivel, hence wrinkle the nose. Soon a verb, and less commonly a noun, as in Virginia Woolf's account of her penmanship: "such a scrimp of a hand".. THE QUESTION which a judge should ask himself when considering whether to accede to an application for summary judgment under Part 24 of the Civil Procedure Rules 1998 (CPR 24) was whether there was a realistic, as opposed to fanciful, prospect of success, and not whether he was certain that the claim or defence was bound to fail. But it would be nice if they were accompanied by tough action. Most observers reckon that corruption is still at the heart of Russian government.
The West can help; but not until Russia is willing to dig itself out of the political, economic and military hole that it has dug.. "NOW HE'S Sixty-Four!" You read it here first, but in seven years' time many headlines will use that emended phrase upon Paul McCartney's birthday. Neither Mr Gorbachev nor the West appeared to notice the inherent contradiction.The contrasts remain stark. Yesterday, we saw the blackly comic sight of Mr Putin declaring that "the time has come" to declare war on corruption, in order "to preserve the people's trust in the state". Until now, Mr Putin presumably did not believe that such an attack was essential - though a report by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development argued this week that corruption in Russia is one of the most important obstacles to growth.Mr Putin acknowledged that criminal groups influence huge areas of Russia's economy, and that Russia's "international prestige" has been damaged These admissions are all very well. Mikhail Gorbachev repeatedly insisted that the West must give him billions of dollars in loans, or face disaster; meanwhile his most respected economic advisers deserted him in droves because of his dogged refusal to introduce the radical reforms they believed were essential. The message seems to be, "Give us the money - we'll decide what to spend it on." Morality aside, the Chechen war is a drain on the Russian economy.
Disbursing money to Russia at this stage is the equivalent of giving a patient a blood transfusion while he opens up his own arteries.Moscow issues dire warnings of the catastrophe that will follow if Western bankers are unkind This is a familiar tack. The Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, is optimistic that the money will be disbursed He should be proved wrong. An approval of the planned $640m tranche will send all the wrong signals This is not a time to reward Russia; on the contrary. Russian attacks on civilian targets in Chechnya continue, even as Western leaders timidly criticise the brutal assaults. The granting of loans makes life easier for the Russian government, just when it is embarking on an expensive and probably long-drawn-out war.
As the broomstick-riding players of quidditch would say: it's a golden snitch.. A DELEGATION of the International Monetary Fund began talks in Moscow yesterday on releasing part of a $4.5bn loan to Russia. A work that is compelling for children stands comparison with literary heavyweights. None the less, the explicit overlap between appreciation of children's and adult's literature is to be welcomed; it is the opposite of dumbing down.
It is fitting that Harry and his quidditch-playing friends should now be considered not just the province of young readers. The latest in the series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, is on the shortlist for the Whitbread Children's Award. The rules have been modified so that Harry can win the adult Whitbread, too. Admittedly, Joanne Rowling scarcely needs any more prizes. JK Rowling has created a fictional character who seems certain to flourish well into the 21st century.