Contact sport | Showering in the dark | Clawdbot caper | Dubious duvets | Language for leaseholders

Stephen Chicken chastises the Guardian for its use of “reached out”, presumably because it is a US colloquialism (Letters, 1 February). He suggests “contacted” instead. However, the Oxford English Dictionary gives the origin of “contact”, to get in touch with, as, oops, an early 20th-century US colloquialism. Plus ça change, plus everything’s the same damn thing.
Judith Flanders
Montreal, Canada

• Dark showering may be very calming (Pass notes, 4 February), but bear in mind that most bathroom fans are activated by the light switch. The fan should be extracting 15 litres of damp air every second – where will all that moisture go if the fan doesn’t come on?
Carol O’Byrne
Cardiff