Why do basketball players wear vests and shorts five sizes too big?

People get hot when taking part in a fast competitive sport, and larger than needed clothes will hang more easily on players, helping them to stay as cool as possible.

Tim Mickleburgh, Grimsby

From Vivien Leigh and Leslie Howard in Gone with the Wind to Jude Law in Cold Mountain, British actors have been able to pull off US Southern accents quite well. Other regional accents work, but not so convincingly. Why is this?

As you move north through Wales, the accent becomes harsher and less musical on the ear. The same is true in Ireland, as it is in England — the softness of the West Country burr dissipates rapidly as you travel north. The same is true in America. Why this should be I know not, but softer, gentler accents are much easier to imitate than their harsher northern cousins.

Huw Beynon, Llandeilo

Historically, many of the immigrants to the Southern United States were from the West Country of England, Scotland or Ireland. The Southern accent that then developed retained some features of British accents, including the vowel distinction between “caught” and “cot”. Many Americans pronounce these words the same but in the South they are largely distinct. Southern Americans also tend to preserve the distinction between “furry” and “hurry” whereas most Americans do not. The distinct rhythm of Southern American English also makes it easier to imitate. It is, of course, easier for actors to imitate an accent that has identical features to their own accent but it also depends on the individual’s ability to hear and reproduce accurately the accent they must learn. For example, Hugh Laurie’s American accent in House is excellent whereas Dick van Dyke’s Cockney accent in Mary Poppins is regarded as one of the worst attempts at an accent ever.

Rebecca Stevens, Cambridge

Why do so many Welshman have double-barrelled (albeit not particularly distinguished) surnames?

Traditionally in Wales we have used a patronymic system rather than the English style of surnames. This meant that, for example, Dafydd, the son of Gwilym, would be called Dafydd ap Gwilym, or perhaps a less exalted Dafydd Gwilym. His son in turn would use his father’s name and could be Ifan ap Dafydd. In recent years, this might be anglicised to Evan Davies, the “Davies” then being retained by his descendants as a surname in the English style. Thus we have a high proportion of family names derived from Christian names.

With so many similar names, we have needed a variety of nicknames to distinguish between individuals, and some families with social aspirations have felt the need to hyphenate two surnames to stand out from the herd.

Edmund Humphreys, Gwynedd

So many Welsh people have the same surnames — Jones, Hughes, Lloyd, Pugh, Williams — that they adopt double-barrelled names to differentiate themselves: Hughes-Edwards, Lloyd-Evans.

Brian Mellor, Newbury, Berks

On July 8 the rate of inflation in Zimbabwe was reported to have reached 2.2 million per cent. At this rate, how long would it take for the Z$100 billion loaf of bread to double in price? If true, does this constitute a world record?

Nigel MacNicol, Greetham, Leicestershire

Is there a traceable reason why the names “birdie” and “bogey” appear in the golfing lexicon?

John Idris Jones, Borthwen, Ruthin

I am advised by my socially aware friends that if I buy a sat-nav I should buy an expensive model as it will take me to the upmarket destinations I seek. Is this true?

Bill Sadler,Newcastle upon Tyne

Why are magnets nearly always depicted as horseshoe-shaped? I seem to remember at school, many years ago, they were generally oblong.

Tony Knifton, Liverpool