1:43pm UK, Monday December 01, 2003

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has won the dubious honour of making the year's most baffling comment by a public figure.

Rumsfeld was awarded the "Foot in Mouth" award for a particularly confusing response at a press briefing, Britain's Plain English Campaign said.

180 Donald Rumsfeld

Rumsfeld: Baffling comment

The Defence Secretary said: "Reports that say something hasn't happened are interesting to me, because as we know, there are known unknowns; there are things we know we know.

"We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns- the ones we don't know we don't know."

Campaign spokesman John Lister said: "We think we know what he means. But we don't know if we really know."

Rumsfeld took the booby prize ahead of a bizarre effort from actor-turned politician Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"I think that gay marriage is something that should be between a man and a woman," the new California Governor said.

The Plain English Campaign strives to have public information delivered in clear, straightforward English.

Previous holders of the award include American actress Alicia Silverstone and UK Chancellor Gordon Brown.

Last year's winner was actor Richard Gere.

He told a Sunday newspaper: "I know who I am. No-one else knows who I am. If I was a giraffe and somebody said I was a snake, I'd think, 'no, actually I'm a giraffe'."