To Tell Truth, He’d Rather Not

Writing letters of recommendation can be hazardous. Tell the truth and you might lose a friend--or get sued--if the contents are negative. Robert Thornton, a professor of economics at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., has a collection of “virtually litigation-proof” phrases, which he calls the Lexicon of Inconspicuously Ambiguous Recommendations, or LIAR. These, he says, “may be used to offer a negative opinion . . . while allowing the candidate to believe that it is high praise.” Some examples:

--To describe a person who is inept: “I most enthusiastically recommend this candidate with no qualifications whatsoever.”

--To describe an ex-employee who had problems getting along with fellow workers: “I am pleased to say that this candidate is a former colleague of mine.”

--To describe a candidate who is so unproductive that the job would be better left unfilled: “I can assure you that no person would be better for the job.”

--To describe an applicant who is not worth consideration: “I would urge you to waste no time in making this candidate an offer of employment.”

--To describe a dud: “All in all, I cannot say enough good things about this candidate or recommend him too highly.”

--It should be no surprise that John Wayne wrote strong letters. Although he was a staunch Republican, Wayne, who died in 1979 at age 72, supported President Jimmy Carter on the Panama Canal Treaty, which returned the canal to Panama. He accused Ronald Reagan--in a Nov. 11, 1977, letter, a copy of which is on file at the Carter Presidential Center Library in Atlanta--of spreading untruths about the treaty: “Now I have taken your letter, and I’ll show you point by God damn point in the Treaty where you are misinforming people. If you continue these erroneous remarks, someone will publicize your letter to prove that you are not as thorough in your reviewing of this Treaty as you say or are damned obtuse when it comes to reading the English language.” He signed the letter “Duke” and enclosed with it a five-page rebuttal.

--Yakina Glymph, an eighth grader at Mid-Carolina Junior High School in Newberry, S.C., spelled “cemetery” correctly in a spelling competition, but Dr. Robert Hollis, caller for the contest, asked her to sit down. The judge’s list showed it spelled “cemetary.” “It’s just one of those flukes that happened,” he said. School officials later allowed Yakina a chance to spell enough words in the district office to win a $100 savings bond, he said.