Don't be vague, ask for Haig.

“Don’t be vague, ask for Haig” is best known as a British advertising slogan rather than a literary aphorism. It was used to market Haig Scotch whisky (DCL/Haig) and became a catchphrase in mid‑20th‑century Britain, playing on the rhyme of “vague/Haig” to suggest that a discerning customer should specify the brand when ordering a drink. The line circulated widely on posters and in print advertising and later entered popular culture as a stock example of a memorable ad slogan, often repeated without attribution—hence its frequent listing as “Anonymous.”

The slogan’s surface meaning is practical: be specific about what you want—name the brand. Its persuasive force comes from implying that vagueness leads to inferior or generic substitutes, while “asking for Haig” signals taste, confidence, and social savvy. More broadly, it exemplifies how advertising compresses an argument into a rhythmic, easily recalled jingle: clarity equals quality, and brand choice becomes a marker of identity. Detached from its commercial setting, the phrase can be read as a general admonition against imprecision, though its original intent is unmistakably promotional.