Several new phrases made it into the UN vernacular this week as countries clashed at UN climate talks in Bonn

By Alex Pashley

When emotions run high, climate negotiators come out with some, er, interesting soundbites.

Developing countries cried treachery on Monday after presiding diplomats hacked down a flabby negotiating text to 20 pages, and many of their proposals with it.

The aim was to get closer to the final version of a new global warming treaty that needs 195 countries’ blessing in Paris come December.

As time ticked away in the run-up to the crunch summit, tempers flared and proceedings became fraught.

It produced a few wacky episodes. Here is our pick.

Co-chairs call on countries to make ‘surgical insertions’ or additions to the text.

“Surgical insertions” means must-have items for states in new climate text @ #ADP2, after proposed will meet on what to do with them #COP21 — Megan Rowling (@meganrowling) October 19, 2015

It draws a comparison to drone warfare

‘Surgical insertions’ new phrase at #ADP2#climate talks. Sounds like a #US drone attack. Q. Who will be collateral damage? The poor again? — asad rehman (@chilledasad100) October 19, 2015

The medical analogy is stretched…

EU: “The patient must be holding on to life after these surgeries.” #ADP2 — Hanna Aho (@AhoHannaMH) October 19, 2015

…to within an inch of its life

Developing countries say current #climatefinance #ADP2.11 negotiating text need major organ transplant not just ‘surgical insertion’ #UNFCCC — Raju Pandit Chhetri (@rajupchhetri) October 20, 2015

South Africa’s lead negotiator and spokesperson for G77+China likens talks to apartheid

Comparing state of #ADP2 talks to apartheid seems incendiary. A sign of real anger or just clever politiking? — Edward King (@edking_CH) October 19, 2015

Social media reference gets heavily tweeted

#Climatechange is not a twitter line, not an instagram-selfie moment. We live with climate change everyday, says South Africa for G77 #ADP2 — Indrajit Bose (@boseindrajit) October 22, 2015

Talk of pregnancy (the unborn child is the Paris agreement) returns

“We have a baby with missing parts” the medical analogies at #ADP2 getting more and more gruesome… — Yassen Tcholakov (@yassentch) October 21, 2015

I usually enjoy analogies during the UNFCCC-meetings. But this baby-analogy is getting awkward. #briefing#ADP2 — Tone G. Bjørndal (@tonebjorndal) October 21, 2015

The UN distracts us with apples

Each of the 196 parties get one

Seeds of hope, or apple of discord? We can only watch and wait