UK Newspeak

After being overcharged for a train ticket, I went to a Southern railway ticket office and asked for a complaints form. The man in the ticket office gave me, instead of a complaints form, a 'customer comments form'. Apparently Southern no longer has complaints forms, only comments forms.

Apus observed that this is an example of Orwell's Newspeak - as if Southern, by replacing complaints forms with comments forms, can also replace the complaints themselves with comments.

On a similar note, it is interesting that the upcoming smoking ban in England is being brought in under the 'Smoke-Free Regulations 2006'. The title suggests freedom (freedom from smoke) - and freedom is good. If the regs had been called the 'No Smoking Regulations', this would have suggested restriction - and restriction is bad.

Remember children, language is never neutral.