End Game was recently reminded that sound bites can be largely catagorised into one of three broad groups:

1.   The good:  “It’s the economy, stupid” - well done to Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign strategist James Carville. Jolly clever. 

2.   The bad: remember Nick Clegg claiming his Liberal Democrats were on the side of “Alarm clock Britain”? Must try harder.  

3.   The ugly: Gordon Brown’s borderline-unsayable clunker “the change we choose” from his 2009 Labour party conference speech.  

End Game was reminded of its unscientific and doubtless flawed three-point scale when Foundation Trust Network chief executive Chris Hopson appeared on Sky’s ominously titled “NHS Life or Death” series to proclaim his love for the NHS 111 service earlier this month.

NHS 111 is “a vital part of the future of the NHS”, Mr Hopson said. Better still, the service’s delivery over the Christmas period was very strong - NHS 111’s performance figures were “to die for”, he concluded.

There’s mixing your metaphors and then there’s asking for trouble. See us after class, Mr Hopson…