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February 16, 2005 12:01 AM

Broken: Obfuscatory language

The Golden Bull awards are given "for the year's worst examples of gobbledygook."

One of the 2004 winners was British Airways, for "NOTE – CANCELLATIONS – BEFORE DEPARTURE FARE IS REFUNDABLE. IF COMBINING A NON-REFUNDABLE FARE WITH A REFUNDABLE FARE ONLY THE Y/C/J-CLASS HALF RETURN AMOUNT CAN BE REFUNDED..."

Comments:

So what did that mean in english lol

Posted by: Timmie at February 16, 2005 06:51 AM

Probably makes perfect sense if you actually work for the airline...As far as the rest of us....well......

Posted by: Tim at February 16, 2005 07:06 AM

I think that in English it means something like this (but please don't take it as correct; I made some assumptions and a few Google searches for jargon):

===

CANCELLATIONS

If you cancel your flight, some fares may not be refundable; if this is the case, this will be noted on the receipt.

If your flight consisted of both non-refundable fares and refundable fares, your refund will be limited to half of the return amount on a non-discounted/non-promotional economy or business flight.

Rares can NOT be refunded after departure.

===

That's my best guess at deciphering it, anyway. Now, why they couldn't have said that in the first place, I don't know...

Posted by: Ciaran at February 16, 2005 09:06 AM

Er, that should be "Fares can NOT be refunded after departure", of course. (I did use Preview - honest!)

Posted by: Ciaran at February 16, 2005 09:07 AM

Oh, and I just saw the page and there's more to it than that. So ignore that sentence above completely. I thought what was here was all of it. :D

Posted by: Ciaran at February 16, 2005 09:09 AM

I have seen a few companies that include 2 copies of their contracts in mailings to their customers: A legalistic copy for use in court, and a plain language copy that can be understood by the average person.

Posted by: Gary Edstrom at February 16, 2005 11:07 AM

That would be useful, if the "plain language" copy is actually readable...

Posted by: fuzzy at February 16, 2005 01:18 PM

Also, how many people here knew what "obfuscatory" meant without reading the context?

Posted by: fuzzy at February 16, 2005 01:24 PM

Gary Edstrom: I hate to be cynical, but I'd be worried about that - how do you know the version they've given the customer to read isn't missing some important information?

fuzzy: I did, but that's possibly because I've looked at obfuscated programming contests. :)

Posted by: anitsirK at February 16, 2005 03:53 PM

Yeah, you have no way of knowing whether the "plain english" version is in any way accurate.

Posted by: Maurs at February 16, 2005 04:21 PM

And the all caps here doesn't make that any easier... it just blends into incomprehensible words.

Posted by: Ilan at February 16, 2005 09:40 PM

I rather like the Bank of Scotland one:

"We hereby give you notice that Bank of Scotland have retrocessed, reponed and restored Executors and Assignees, in and to their own right and place in the undernoted policy of Assurance by our Office, Videlicet."

I've heard of legalese, but that's just plain ridiculous.

Posted by: codeman38 at February 16, 2005 10:29 PM

Wow.

Someone's been reading the dictionary in their free time...

Posted by: fuzzy at February 17, 2005 08:58 PM

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