Rock star Sting wanted to tell his German audience he was hot on stage. 'Ich bin warm,' he told them, which unfortunately translated as, 'I am gay.' 'Foolish Words' - a book that could easily be re-titled I Wish I Hadn't Said That - takes a huge variety of gaffes, blunders, and faux pas committed by those in the public gaze who cannot escape the permanent record of note pads, radio microphones, and TV cameras.
From hapless lawyers caught in the act of strangling common sense, to inept businessmen predicting that small computers won't sell, to bungling politicians suffering from foot-in-mouth disease, all spoken blunders are here.
Prince Phillip re-defines the meaning of a diplomatic visit with his views on tribal rituals, native painting, and Chinese culture.
'Foolish Words' is a wickedly funny collection of the very worst uses of the English language by those in the public eye who really should know better