Readers have reminded me of Palin’s famous quip about hockey moms: “What’s the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick.” Contrast with this knowing pearl from Fleet Street: “Mrs Palin seems to have ditched the staid and formal ‘hockey mom’ image she appeared to favour during her campaign with Republican hopeful John McCain.” I’m also getting a lot of complaints about The Economist’s America coverage. Ah, well. What can you expect from Britain, whose soccer fans, I understand — “football” fans — are staid and formal types. Teetotal crowd too, I hear.