The tax code should be simple enough to fit on a beer mat, her party declared.

ECONOMIST: Germany's chancellor: Merkel is the message | The

Or used as a beer mat, strung up with others as a bird-scarer or sent to a recycling scheme.

ECONOMIST: A new twist on an old polymer

The idea for Team Philips started on the back of a beer mat and developed into the largest carbon fibre racing yacht.

BBC: Damaged yacht 'can still win'

The game went to extra-time - Steve McManaman hit the post, Paul Gascoigne came within the width of a beer mat of sliding home the winner and Sandor Puhl, the excellent Hungarian referee, even ruled out a Kuntz header.

BBC: Here we go again...