I used to have a comprehensive range of greeting tics that included, “Hello buddy”, “Hello fish” “Hey buddy”, and “Good afternoon, Legoland Windsor.”

Over the last few weeks “Hey” has been creeping back in. It comes out with a very particular intonation and doesn’t sound much like a greeting, but I’m sure it’s not the other sort of ‘Hay’ either.…

For the last five years I’ve kept track of my regular tics, the ones I say or do over and over again (for months or even years on end). Up until now though, I’ve never paid much attention to the tics I don’t repeat all the time.…