Grim must be some sort of lingwist.
I don't see what's so bad about it. I got the full gist of what was meant. Did Rudd say this, or was it what you read.

lingwist.
579 ??
or did you mean linguist ?

Belly:

Loved your last post. As some wise person once said, "Man's greatest inheritance is the gift of speech." The gift of words is the gift of imagination. Some words run softly, almost soundlessly on tiptoe. Others clump around like an under-nine fottball team in a cement floor dressing shed. Some soothe like cold cream on suburn. While others set your blood pounding and your heart singing. As Bryce Courtenay tells us - "Each of us has been designed for one of two immortal functions, either as a storyteller or as a cross-legged listener to tales of wonder, love, and daring et cetera. When we cease to tell or listen, then we no longer exist as a people. Dead men tell no tales." As long as we get the message of what's being said - I wouldn't make a fuss over what words are used. I remember years ago I tried speaking in Lithuanian to an elderly family friend of my parents.
At the time my Lithuanian was rather poor to say the least (as was the old person's English). I was used to speaking only in English (having been born here). Anyway, this woman embarrassed the heck out of me by making fun of my attempts at trying to speak in Lithuanian.
As a result she turned me off completely, and it was quite some time before I even attempted to try again. I did ask her politely, "Did you understand what I was trying to say?" She did. But she didn't realize the damage that she's done to me by making fun of me. She discouraged me from trying again. There's a lesson to be learned there I guess.

cont'd ...

Oooops, my apologies for the typos in my previous post - (Individual,
people do make typos - it doesn't mean that they don't know the words).

With an open mind, open eyes and ears, open understanding heart,, life can be great.
Each morning, before logging on no matter the time I walk around my block.
Seeing my garden as it is at that hour.
I can find good or bad there as in all things.
Here I note the anti Rudd silliness and look for butterfly's hope fear and hurt at the subject of his words.
NEVER change Lexi you are a light in the darkness

Hi Belly, I'm not actually anti Rudd, in fact I quite liked the guy. I think his biggest mistake might have been trying too hard.
This has proven to be one of those self UN fulfilling prophecies; I've been seeing so many instances of poor language skills practised by so-called professionals lately it irked me into writing this post.
Since then of course, I haven't seen one.
My point was about professionalism. If I want wiring done around the house, I (generally) call a professional electrician, and I expect a professional result. Likewise plumbers etc.
I get annoyed when I go to a restaurant and get served a meal I could do better at home, because that to me shows a lack of professional skills.
Unlike novelists, I think the first priority for diplomats should be absolute accuracy. I remember not so long ago another PM who got hung up for using the word 'recidivist'; although that was admittedly pure politics, that's diplomacy hey.
I don't mind Rudd's down home homilies, even if they never sound quite sincere, and I'm certainly not inclined to apologise for being a dinkum ocker.
I just think highly paid professionals should be professional.
In this instance, Rudd was just unlucky. My normal beef is with journalists who would have failed 4th form english, in my day.