The Foot in Mouth Award is presented each year by the
Plain English Campaign
The Plain English Campaign (PEC) is a commercial editing and training firm based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1979 by Chrissie Maher, the company is a world leader in plain-language advocacy, working to persuade organisations in the UK and ...
for "a baffling comment by a public figure".
The award was first made in 1993, when it was given to
Ted Dexter, the chairman of selectors for the
England cricket team
The England cricket team represents England and Wales in international cricket. Since 1997, it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club (the MCC) since 1903. En ...
. It was awarded again the following year, and, after a two-year break, annually from 1997.
The Plain English Campaign was set up in 1979 when the founder,
Chrissie Maher, shredded hundreds of jargon-filled forms and documents in
Parliament Square
Parliament Square is a square at the northwest end of the Palace of Westminster in the City of Westminster in central London. Laid out in the 19th century, it features a large open green area in the centre with trees to its west, and it contai ...
, London. The group made their first awards the next year, rewarding those organisations that used plain English, and highlighting those that did not.
Although the Foot in Mouth award was first made in 1993, a specific acknowledgment was made to a comment by
Dan Quayle
James Danforth Quayle (; born February 4, 1947) is an American politician who served as the 44th vice president of the United States from 1989 to 1993 under President George H. W. Bush. A member of the Republican Party, Quayle served as a U.S. ...
,
Vice President of the United States
The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice p ...
in 1991.
The award has been presented 20 times, and only
Rhodri Morgan
Hywel Rhodri Morgan (29 September 1939 – 17 May 2017) was a Welsh Labour politician who was the First Minister of Wales and the Leader of Welsh Labour from 2000 to 2009. He was also the Assembly Member for Cardiff West from 1999 to 2011 and ...
and
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (; born 19 June 1964) is a British politician, writer and journalist who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He previously served as ...
have received it more than once. The Welsh politician won in both 1998 and 2005, and made a light-hearted response to his second win, claiming that the first award had "made
isname."
Politicians have been recipients of the award more times than any other group of people, collecting it on 14 occasions; people from the world of sport have won four times. The 43rd President of the United States,
George W. Bush, received the award in 2008, with the subtitle "Lifetime Achievement Award", given not for a single quote, but for his continued "services to gobbledygook".
Winners
See also
*
Golden Bull Award
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foot In Mouth Award
Ironic and humorous awards
British awards
1993 establishments in the United Kingdom
Awards established in 1993