churl

Barabak: You would have to be a churl not to respect and admire Vance’s career path, which, to use a phrase oft-heard Monday might, truly embodies the American Dream.

Only a churl would deny Madonna the right to a victory lap, so monumental is her standing in pop history — not just as a maker of indelible songs and genre-defining videos but also as a cultural pathbreaker whose commitment to feminist and queer ideals continues to open lanes in the mainstream even now.

“Hearken, churl; mind thy comportment, else thou shalt endure a most grievous batie-bummil!”

As with Stosur, it would take the dourest churl to dislike Barty, so the sight of either pulling through in Melbourne would have pleased — or will please — anyone worth knowing.

You can hear these soft landing spots as part of the interest in wellness culture the singer has been talking about lately; certainly, only a churl would begrudge her whatever comfortable space she needs to heal from her divorce.