--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Give a civil servant a good case and…" description: "\"Give a civil servant a good case and he'll wreck it with clichés, bad punctuation, double negatives, and convoluted apology.\" — Alan Clark" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eef/alan-clark-42239_apology_give-a-civil-servant-a-good-case-and-he_71755.jpg" --- # Give a civil servant a good case and he'll wreck it with… ![“Give a civil servant a good case and he'll wreck it with clichés, bad punctuation, double negatives, and convoluted apology.” quote by Alan Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eef/alan-clark-42239_apology_give-a-civil-servant-a-good-case-and-he_71755.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eef/alan-clark-42239_apology_give-a-civil-servant-a-good-case-and-he_71755.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eef/alan-clark-42239_apology_give-a-civil-servant-a-good-case-and-he_71755.jpg) > “Give a civil servant a good case and he'll wreck it with clichés, bad punctuation, double negatives, and convoluted apology.” [Alan Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-clark/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even a well‑intentioned bureaucrat can ruin a solid argument by overloading it with jargon, errors, and unnecessary apologies. **In simple terms:** Bureaucratic overcomplication Key Takeaway Clarity beats verbosity Themes bureaucracy communication language mistakes overcomplication Mood ironic critical wry Type observation satire When to use this quote - drafting policy proposals - preparing reports - responding to criticism Key Concepts writing authority process Practical Applications - editing documents - training staff on concise writing Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure clarity in official documents? - What habits lead to unnecessary complexity? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apology/) [Civil servants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-servants/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Servant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/servant/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [“Was that semi-colon some kind of flirty wink or just bad punctuation?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azadeh-aalai/was-that-semi-colon-some-kind-of-flirty-wink-or-just-bad-punctuation/) Azadeh Aalai > [My father was a civil servant, fairly sort of middle ranking, low to middle ranking. He worked almost entirely in what was then called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hume/my-father-was-a-civil-servant-fairly-sort-of-middle-ranking-low-to/) [John Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hume/) > [“The civil servant looks back at the file and says flatly, as if reading, “No children?” and then, looking directly up at Somer, “No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shilpi-somaya-gowda/the-civil-servant-looks-back-at-the-file-and-says-flatly-as-if/) [Shilpi Somaya Gowda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shilpi-somaya-gowda/) > [A civil servant is sometimes like a broken cannon - it won't work and you can't fire it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-patton/a-civil-servant-is-sometimes-like-a-broken-cannon-it-won-t-work-and/) [George S. Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-patton/) > [My dad was a civil servant, and my mum was a secretary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-davis/my-dad-was-a-civil-servant-and-my-mum-was-a-secretary/) [Julia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-davis/) > [A president is a high-level official who is elected to carry out a function. He is not a king, not a god. He is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-mujica/a-president-is-a-high-level-official-who-is-elected-to-carry-out-a/) [Jose Mujica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-mujica/) > [It is essential for men of science to take an interest in the administration of their own affairs or else the professional civil servant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-rutherford/it-is-essential-for-men-of-science-to-take-an-interest-in-the/) [Ernest Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-rutherford/) > [I'm a statistic in a system that a civil servant dominates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/i-m-a-statistic-in-a-system-that-a-civil-servant-dominates/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [If every civil servant does his job perfectly, then I am sure the world will be a better place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jagapathi-babu/if-every-civil-servant-does-his-job-perfectly-then-i-am-sure-the/) [Jagapathi Babu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jagapathi-babu/) > [It's the most rewarding thing to be a civil servant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sargent-shriver/it-s-the-most-rewarding-thing-to-be-a-civil-servant/) [Sargent Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sargent-shriver/) > [As a civil servant in charge of the government's Strategy Unit, I brought in many people from outside government, including academia and science, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-mulgan/as-a-civil-servant-in-charge-of-the-government-s-strategy-unit-i/) [Geoff Mulgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-mulgan/) > [I can't see the point in being in politics if you're not yourself. If you're simply interested in implementing other people's policies, then you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-rees-mogg/i-can-t-see-the-point-in-being-in-politics-if-you-re-not-yourself-if/) [Jacob Rees-Mogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-rees-mogg/) > [I mean, really, compared to a senior civil servant, I'm very modestly paid!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-starkey/i-mean-really-compared-to-a-senior-civil-servant-i-m-very-modestly/) [David Starkey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-starkey/) > [There are very many characteristics which go into making a model civil servant. Prominent among them are probity, industry, good sense, good habits, good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-a-arthur/there-are-very-many-characteristics-which-go-into-making-a-model/) [Chester A. Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-a-arthur/) > [In a mature society, 'civil servant' is semantically equal to 'civil master.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/in-a-mature-society-civil-servant-is-semantically-equal-to-civil/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## More by Alan Clark > [“There are few nicer things than sitting up in bed, drinking strong tea, and reading.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-clark/there-are-few-nicer-things-than-sitting-up-in-bed-drinking-strong-tea/) [Alan Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-clark/) > [There are no true friends in politics. We are all sharks circling, and waiting, for traces of blood to appear in the water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-clark/there-are-no-true-friends-in-politics-we-are-all-sharks-circling-and/) [Alan Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-clark/) > [The more you know about a species, the more you understand about how better to help protect them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-clark/the-more-you-know-about-a-species-the-more-you-understand-about-how/) [Alan Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-clark/) > [“In the last days before the attack a strange feeling, not so much of confidence as of fatalism, pervaded the German tank forces- if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-clark/in-the-last-days-before-the-attack-a-strange-feeling-not-so-much-of/) [Alan Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-clark/) > [“Krebs, who knew some Russian and at one stage in his career had been embraced by Stalin, was "a smooth, surviving type." And so,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-clark/krebs-who-knew-some-russian-and-at-one-stage-in-his-career-had-been/) [Alan Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-clark/) > [The only solution is to kill 600 people in one night. Let the UN and Bill Clinton and everyone else make a scene -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-clark/the-only-solution-is-to-kill-600-people-in-one-night-let-the-un-and/) [Alan Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-clark/) > [They're just actors. I much prefer the real thing!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-clark/they-re-just-actors-i-much-prefer-the-real-thing/) [Alan Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-clark/) > [In the end we are all sacked and it's always awful. It is as inevitable as death following life. If you are elevated there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-clark/in-the-end-we-are-all-sacked-and-it-s-always-awful-it-is-as/) [Alan Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-clark/) > [There's nothing so improves the mood of the Party as the imminent execution of a senior colleague.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-clark/there-s-nothing-so-improves-the-mood-of-the-party-as-the-imminent/) [Alan Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-clark/) [Explore all 10 Alan Clark quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-clark/) ## More Apology quotes > [The greatest act of courage is to be and to ownall of who you are—without apology, without excuses, without masks to cover the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/the-greatest-act-of-courage-is-to-be-and-to-ownall-of-who-you-are/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [Apologies are not pass/fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/apologies-are-not-pass-fail/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) > [“Why do we apologize for advocating for ourselves? Why do we apologize for taking up space that we are entitled to? Why do we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-tambascio/why-do-we-apologize-for-advocating-for-ourselves-why-do-we-apologize/) Elizabeth Tambascio > [It's hard to say sorry when It's really your fault.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakii-retondo/it-s-hard-to-say-sorry-when-it-s-really-your-fault/) [Rakii Retondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakii-retondo/) > [“A lady need never apologize. ~ Joseph de Bonaparte (Brother of Napoleon)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-pataki/a-lady-need-never-apologize-joseph-de-bonaparte-brother-of-napoleon/) Allison Pataki > [And apologies, once postponed, become harder and harder to make, and finally impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mitchell/and-apologies-once-postponed-become-harder-and-harder-to-make-and/) [Margaret Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mitchell/) > [In the formation of such a government, it is not only the right, but the indispensable duty of every citizen to examine the principles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-webster/in-the-formation-of-such-a-government-it-is-not-only-the-right-but/) [Noah Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-webster/) > [Apologizing does not always mean you are wrong, it just means that value your relationships more than your ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinier-bennett/apologizing-does-not-always-mean-you-are-wrong-it-just-means-that/) [Chinier Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinier-bennett/) > [If I can get enough signatures, to present an apology to slavery, I will present it to the President. The House of Representatives has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/if-i-can-get-enough-signatures-to-present-an-apology-to-slavery-i/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [“I don’t care if you’ve changed. I don’t care who you are now. I don’t need or want your explanations because what you did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-young/i-don-t-care-if-you-ve-changed-i-don-t-care-who-you-are-now-i-don-t/) [Samantha Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-young/) > [I never said Kristen ruined my wedding. At the time, when a million other things had fallen apart that day, I felt like she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scheana-shay/i-never-said-kristen-ruined-my-wedding-at-the-time-when-a-million/) [Scheana Shay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scheana-shay/) > [The greatest form of maturity is at harvest time. This is when we must learn how to reap without complaint if the amounts are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/the-greatest-form-of-maturity-is-at-harvest-time-this-is-when-we-must/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [“It's clear he still feels something, but what? Is the whole reason he made such a big deal about wanting to talk to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carey-heywood/it-s-clear-he-still-feels-something-but-what-is-the-whole-reason-he/) [Carey Heywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carey-heywood/) > [I wasn't saying whatever they're saying I was saying. I'm sorry I said it really. I never meant it to be a lousy anti-religious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/i-wasn-t-saying-whatever-they-re-saying-i-was-saying-i-m-sorry-i-said/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [For every person who atones, a hundred others find regret sufficient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/for-every-person-who-atones-a-hundred-others-find-regret-sufficient/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) [Browse all 1,300 Apology quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apology/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Give a civil servant a good case and he'll wreck it with clichés, bad punctuation, double negatives, and convoluted apology.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alan Clark" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-clark/give-a-civil-servant-a-good-case-and-he-ll-wreck-it-with-clich-s-bad/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Apology" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-clark/give-a-civil-servant-a-good-case-and-he-ll-wreck-it-with-clich-s-bad/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eef/alan-clark-42239_apology_give-a-civil-servant-a-good-case-and-he_71755.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eef/alan-clark-42239_apology_give-a-civil-servant-a-good-case-and-he_71755.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eef/alan-clark-42239_apology_give-a-civil-servant-a-good-case-and-he_71755.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Give a civil servant a good case and he'll wreck it with clichés, bad punctuation, double negatives, and…” — Alan Clark", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alan Clark", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-clark/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Give a civil servant a good...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-clark/give-a-civil-servant-a-good-case-and-he-ll-wreck-it-with-clich-s-bad/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-clark/give-a-civil-servant-a-good-case-and-he-ll-wreck-it-with-clich-s-bad/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```