16) It is not French.
In December 1999 our old Chief of Defence Procurement (Walmsley) ruled that a programme, on the verge of completion ahead of schedule, under cost and to a better spec than requested, should be stopped, paid off, kit scrapped and re-let to Thales. Worse, he had personally signed the original procurement strategy.
I chose not to break the law and ignored him.
Not 2 months ago, DE&S policy branch cited this ruling, in writing, and emphatically stated they stood by it.
But I like your list!