A word which originated from an obscure Persian fairytale is now Britain's favourite.

Serendipity, according to the Encarta English dictionary, is a "natural gift for making discoveries quite by accident".

It originated in the 10th century from The Three Princes of Serendip, an Arabian tale about three princes who had this ability.

One of the most famous examples of serendipity is Christopher Columbus' discovery of America when he was looking for India.