When she favoured the cheapest of three suggested menus, British diplomats warned that delicacies like shark's fin and sea slugs "would be conspicuous by their absence".

BBC: Thatcher papers reveal Tory party split over Falklands

The half-hearted approach is reflected in other oddities such as the government diktat that speed cameras must be painted bright yellow, and accompanied by conspicuous road markings.

ECONOMIST: Speed cameras

It is pretty difficult to argue against that, in the sense that there may be some sales and productivity benefit derived by Germany and the US from the conspicuous pride shown by many of their citizens in the success of their industrial giants (although whether those incremental benefits are measurable, I rather doubt).

BBC: How many cheers for British companies?

For one, she had a real reason to fear that she could be indicted: Starr had made a conspicuous point of building his case without her, collecting evidence piece by piece from her friends, fellow interns, her mother, now even the Secret Service, that could turn her denials to powder.

CNN: Tick, Tock, Tick... ...Talk