26 July 2009

Plain English Campaign

30 years old.

1 comment :

sibadd said...

My dad's cautionary lesson. Man in train puts down newspaper. Dad asks if he could read it. Man nods permission. As he gets off at the next station, Dad offers it back. Man says "Ypu may retain it if you wish." It was meant to be polite, i think, but it seems to contain something else that would not be in the words "please, keep it if you'd like". So much is in the nuance and the finesse. Local councils wind themselves in circles trying to get their words correct. Imagine this. In a County Council the words on the loo for the women said 'Female Members'. it wasn't until this was painted in gold on the mahogany door of the 'Ladies' (which 'archaic' term it had replaced) that someone realised they'd got a problem...