HA! Rumsfeld Beats Arnold in the "Foot In Mouth Awards"

[Greg B]

Plain English Campaign.


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Top names from the worlds of politics and business could be left tongue-tied at an event to name and shame users of gobbledegook.

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is poised to receive the main booby prize at an annual awards ceremony organised by straight-talking pressure group the Plain English Campaign.

Mr Rumsfeld fought off tough competition from California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and EU Commissioner Chris Patten among others, to win the "Foot In Mouth" award which singles out "the most baffling statement by a public figure".

But closer to home, retail giant Marks & Spencer and Lloyds Pharmacy will be among those given "Gold Bull" awards for gobbledegook.

M&S was singled out over one of its foods, clearly labelled as roast chicken salad. An extra label read: "Now with roast chicken".

Lloyds Pharmacy was singled out after responding to a customer's letter of complaint citing a "cognitive error".

Mr Rumsfeld, who is not expected at the ceremony in London, clinched the "top" award for a now infamous statement discussing the problem of "unknown unknowns", which left confused reporters checking their notes hoping to make sense of what he had said.

He was quoted as saying: "Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me because, as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know.

"We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know.

"But there are also unknown unknowns - the ones we don't know we don't know."

[funkmaster]

rumsfeld ... good !!