Once again Boris and his  ministers take to the airways with a glib phrase making for an entry into the “Dictionary of Meaningless Phrases designed I  presume to pull the wool over our eyes with:  – “ramping up.”

“We are ramping up…” precedes the answer to every searching  question asked about vital shortages   of protective  clothing  for hospitals and  care homes staff and testing and tracing facilities. Its as with Alice in Wonderland ‘s Humpty Dumpty “a word will mean what  I choose it to mean nothing more nothing less” adding “the question is whose master – that’s all”

It was so  with “Let’s get Brexit done” when Boris did a deal with Europe little different  than Theresa May’s deal that  “We got Brexit Done.” was true could not challenge because it meant what Boris said it meant. Is then ramping up meaningful.?

To find out I  turned to the  Oxford Concise Dictionary and the word “ ramp: “Ramp n, slope, inclined plane joining two levels of ground, floor,; etc. stairs for entering or leaving an aircraft; difference of levels between  opposite abutments of rampant arch.

ramp v, v.i (of lion etc.),; stand on left foot with fore- paws in the air,  assume  or or be in a threatening posture; storm; rage,.rush about. (Archit.., of  wall) ascend or descend to different level. v.t. furnish or build with a ramp,{ME.f,OF ramper creep}

ramp  n. & v. .. (n)  swindle, racket, esp. conducted by levying of exorbitant prices. v. .i. Engage in ramp,  Subject,( person etc.) to ramp. n.f.v., 16thc;org.unkn}. I submit then that unless  Boris or one of his mates stands on his left foot with for paws  etc. to ramp i