Half birthday

I was recently informed by my son that we might not be able to watch the Cup Final on Saturday because we'll be celebrating my grandson's "half birthday". Apart from the warped sense of priorities here, I didn't know that half birthdays (or should it be half-birthdays?) are even a thing. No-one has ever mentioned my half birthday on 16th July.

Charlotte Pomeranz wrote a book "The Half-Birthday Party" in 1984, so it's not as if it's a new concept. Half-birthday can even be written into law: the US state of Idaho allows people to take out a learner driving licence at the age of 14½; that frankly seems odd. More odd, however, is Michigan which requires the youngster to be 14 years and 8 months for the licence; a two-thirds-birthday. In Maryland it's 15 years and nine months, a three-quarters birthday. I could go on. [please don't, Nigel, we get the point]

Do you want to know whose half-birthday it is today? No? Well I'm going to tell you anyway.

Oprah Winfrey

Tom Selleck

Thomas Paine

William McKinley

Anton Chekhov

Frederick Delius

Germaine Greer

Lewis Carroll wrote about "un-birthdays". Humpy Dumpty says he was given an un-birthday present by the White King and Queen in Through the Looking-Glass. Rev. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) took the idea to heart: he would surprise friends with gifts on other, random days. As many of us do, although (in my case) not knowing we are celebrating un-birthdays.

As for me, belated half-birthday wishes will be gratefully received.