Wellllll, it's that time of year again, innit? Midsummer's but a distant memory; the dark and cold are closing back in; colour's fading to grey and the prospect of a bleak, endless Highland winter's drawing ever nearer.

I can feel my brain and body dulling daily; wee bits of joy, energy and suchlike closing down. My barful of happy, easy, wandering flotsam have dissipated, the big hazy welcome distilled to three grotty alkies in a caravan.

So!

I have decided to combat the descending gloom. With trousers.

The plan is, whenever I meet a native speaker of another language, I shall ask them how to say "trousers" in their native tongue, then post my findings. Spellings and phoenetics. Good, eh? Feel free to join in...