Do you groan when you hear certain words or expressions used on the TV or in conversation? This month we asked a group of colleagues - English, French and German speakers - to tell us which ones are guaranteed to make them cringe or which give them problems!

Martyn:

Oh, where to start? The old potboilers like misplaced apostrophes, ubiquitous commas and the inability to distinguish between 'your' and 'you're' obviously get on my wick, but neither of those suggestions are very original, are they?

A couple of weeks ago, we all returned to work - full of renewed vigour and wishing every colleague and client who crossed our path the customary "good New Year". Yet how many of us went a step further and offered constructive advice about how to ensure 2006 actually is a "good year"? Perhaps not quite so many! So with this in mind, Lingo24 would like to wish you a prosperous New Year and at the same time suggest a corporate New Year's resolution guaranteed to help drive forward your export campaigns in 2006.

On 7th June 1905, Norway dissolved the union it had formed with Sweden, leading to the creation of the independent state of Norway that we know today. 101 years later, Lingo24 has decided to make 'Kongeriket Norge'(The Kingdom of Norway) the subject of June's International Business Intelligence report. We leave no fjord unmapped as we look into the cities, the people, the industries and the language of a country with the second highest GDP per capita in the world.

February 24th sees the Republic of Estonia celebrate Independence Day and make a welcome addition to these pages as a featured country in one of our Lingo24 International Business Intelligence Bulletins. A forward-thinking state which has embraced modern technology and has shown strong economic growth, Estonia has not only a rich history but also the promise of a rich future.

Read on in International Business Intelligence: Estonia