THE lexicon of business speak gobbledegook was further embellished this week by a British super market chain which perpetrated a fresh outrage on the English language. Job seekers were both attracted and baffled by an important sounding advertisement from a branch of the Safeway supermarket group seeking "an ambient replenishment assistant". Those who applied in hope of a smart career move discovered that what the job actually involved was stacking shelves at £3 an hour.

The store group helpfully explained that "ambient" referred to all dry goods in tins and packets and "replenishment" meant, well replenishment. A spokesman for the Plain English Campaign is giving Safeway one of its prized Golden Bull trophies, awarded to those favouring pompous gibberish over simple clarity. Safeway will blushingly accept the award. "We normally win them for innovation, but there you go."