Editor,—I was very disappointed to read in theBJO, a BMJ publication, an example of corrupt English usage. In the January issue, on page 71, the term viscoelastic is freely used. I presume the term is addressing the properties of a substance which has both viscous and elastic properties. The words “viscous” and “elastic” are adjectives describing the property of a substance. It is therefore incorrect to use the terms as nouns. American English has coined the word viscoelastic and through common usage is encouraging others to adopt it. However, surely we should expect a native British journal to set a better example by using technically correct terminology.