For non-UK members, here are a few Prescottisms. Translations are available for those whose first language is English:

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"I would like to make some start in my speech."

"It's not the sanity of the picket lines that bothers me, it's the sanity of human life."

"On housing and charities you have difficulties about the financing of long-term finances affecting those housing, very real problems and I'm sure that we agree with them, but it was good for conference but it wasn't much action, it was an awful lot of getting the conference going, yes I will give way."

"For the first time hypothecating any real increase in fuel duty to roads and public transport and I invite them to say if this hypothecation they are compared to adopt it."

"I saw in the paper today how many Transport Ministers, Barbara Castle, they said, was popular, when Barbara Castle brought in seat belts and drunk driving, she was very unpopular."

"The sustainable conference about which we discussed from Doha to Monterrey and on to Johannesburg, and this is a global framework, we need to bring it back together in a complete frame, as indeed it was in Rio."

[On landing at an airport after a bumpy ride.] "It's great to be back on terra cotta."

"Even the prime minister has done a lot more to do."

"I'm asking you, if I give you these facts, you're supposed to give some factual analysis to it. I mean you're not denying that these facts are wrong, are you?"

"So I think the basic point that it is necessary in order to have private capital in our industries to get the extra resources that we do want that you have to be privatised is not borne out by the facts, in other countries and neither we should we have it here also and if he's in any doubts about that go and have a look at the reports that talk it."

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MrP

Quayle misspells

Prescott even manages to misspell the spoken word.

MrP

I wonder if you realise that, "I haven't seen him before." means "I haven't seen him before NOW

Obviously it must mean "I haven't seen him before NOW". If I were not looking at him, either in reality or in a photograph, I could not make a claim to never having seen him before Sorry, temico, I just assumed you would understand that, given your study of English to date.

If "I haven't seen him before now." is correct English, then, "I haven't eaten lunch before now.", is also correct English, but does it mean, "I haven't eaten lunch is my life", may I ask??

It could equally well mean that temico; why not? One must never assume that one's own habits, whether in dining or in language, are the same for everyone else.

I see.. Thank you, MrPedantic. I would not use them in writing. Your information gives me a broad, flexible perspective. Thank you, from the heart. Roro