What's in a name?
For a man who had just been described as "daft, deluded, deranged and downright dangerous", Alex Salmond appeared remarkably sanguine.
Or, to sustain the alliteration, disinclined to fret.
Why so? Because he had dealt deftly and distinctively with the damnation delivered in his direction.
Indeed, Mr Salmond was able to arrive comfortably at what, for a politician, amounts to apotheosis: his glance at Mr Gray appeared to be one of marshalled pity, rather than contempt.
The attack had been founded, once more, upon Mr Salmond's "arc of prosperity"
comparisons. Which countries, said Mr Gray, now fitted that description?
It must have sounded fine in preparation, in rehearsal.
But, upon delivery, it foundered upon a solid rock of economic and oil statistics constructed by the first minister.
'Brutal' language
More generally, though, isn't the nature of the attack intriguing? With an eye to elections, we already know that the SNP plan to draw a personal contrast between their man and Labour's leader.
This, it would seem, may be the prebuttal: that Alex Salmond is so personally obsessed with independence that he is unfit to govern. No doubt the leaflet is already in draft form.
The language is notably brutal. "Daft?" That's part of the common currency of what passes for political debate in these debased times.
Ditto dangerous and deluded. But "deranged"?
In any event, on the day, Mr Salmond was barely dented by the attack. Just as well, really, because he stumbled into a few minor linguistic problems of his own.
Responding to Tavish Scott on the topic of The Gathering, he was minded to mention the leader of Edinburgh City Council.
But could he remember the name? He knew she was called Jenny. So he tried "Jenny Geddes."
Chair gag
No, first minister, she was the woman who chucked a chair at the Minister of St Giles for using the Anglican Common Prayer Book.
To be fair, the FM - who undoubtedly reads his Sir Walter Scott - instantly recalled the said Geddes and divested himself of a chair gag.
Try again. "Jenny Gilmour?". Nope. Wasn't she one of the organisers of the Gathering?
Eventually, he resorted to "just Jenny" - before recalling that the council leader, a Liberal Democrat, is Jenny Dawe.
Throughout his mind search, the first minister remained in hugely good humour. Indeed, he seemed dapper, diligent, dedicated and diplomatic.
Some might demur but must would say: "FMQs? A dawdle." Today, at least.
I'm 
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