Banjaxed – Wogan’s favourite word

The great maxim at the BBC is, if it ain’t broke, break it

Dear old Terry – the man who introduced ‘banjaxed’ into the English vocabulary (or at least popularised it) – was a wordsmith of heroic proportions, and hence somewhat of a hero of mine.

I was going to write a blog about Terry’s best ‘bits’ following his untimely demise in January this year, but such was the scale of celebrity deaths that it might have seemed rather mawkish at the time.

However, six months on, I think it’s appropriate to revisit some of my favourite Tel quotes, as a celebration of the English language.

On refusing to take antibiotics because they ‘make you fat’:

I may continue to wheeze and caught, but at least I’ll be preserving my racing-snake figure. I can picture my headstone even now: ‘Here lies the fittest man in the graveyard’

On growing old:

I remember the sunshine. Or am I just imagining it? Was I bedewed with sweat or drenched with rain? Where did they go, those shining days of our youth? Figments of happy, carefree moments, made brighter in the afterglow of memory

On his career in broadcasting:

My life has been a happy accident. Anybody who succeeds in anything should count their lucky stars, because that’s the biggest element. I’ve been at this for so long that people think I know what I’m doing. I can assure you – I don’t

On the Eurovision Song Contest:

Who knows what hellish future lies ahead? Actually, I do. I’ve seen the rehearsals