Well, the bubble finally burst. The goose has been cooked and the end of the rope has been reached. The tide has ebbed low, the boat has been missed, and the kibosh has been put on.

If you haven’t gotten the idea yet, the towel has been thrown in, the blank has been drawn, the bottom has fallen out, and the vine has withered. Oh, and one more thing: first base wasn’t reached either. And I’m not even going to mention any regression to square one.

What has precipitated such melancholy in a usually upbeat column? Well, to put it simply: a formula. Let me explain ...