Heinz ketchup is "Better looking than relish," according to Bette McKnight, of Fort Bragg, N.C.

Chesterfield, Mo., resident Melissa Noel quipped, it's "Easier to spell than Worcestershire."

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When the H.J. Heinz Co. decided last year to let outside commentators have their say on the label of its popular tomato-based condiment, more than 18,000 would-be wits stuffed its mailboxes with ideas. Heinz has been doing labels "with attitude'' every summer since 1999 on its 24-ounce and 36-ounce plastic squeeze ketchup bottles, but this was the first time consumers were asked to pitch in.

The eight best contestants won T-shirts with their sayings on them, a year's supply (about 12 bottles) of ketchup and bragging rights to having written an ad seen in the nation's grocery stores this summer, where Heinz hopes to sell 20 million of the bottles.

Winners, in addition to the aforementioned, included, "For the burger that has everything," "French fries not included" and the nurturing "Comforts burnt hot dogs."

Some also-rans weren't half bad either.

Among the second-place entries, good for a T-shirt, were, "Get rich quick," "Lord of the fries" and "Choose me or the yellow guy gets it."

Then there were those that crossed the slippery slope beyond good taste.

"Some of them have been really funny," conceded Heinz North America spokesman Robin Teets, "but we had to eliminate them."