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Words That Sportswriters Use That Make Me Cringe

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by LanceyHoward, Dec 18, 2020.

  1. Dog8Cats

    Dog8Cats Well-Known Member

    Probably the most misused word in common usage.
     
    Liut likes this.
  2. Dog8Cats

    Dog8Cats Well-Known Member

    ... and fixtures. Can't forget them.
     
  3. Dog8Cats

    Dog8Cats Well-Known Member

    "four-down territory"

    Most of the time, the decision to run an offensive play on fourth down is based more on the time remaining in the game or half than where the ball is. For a phrase to describe an offense willing or needing to risk failing on a fourth-down play, "four-down mindset" or "four-down approach" would be better.
     
  4. 3_Octave_Fart

    3_Octave_Fart Well-Known Member

    I was asked to use consecutive over straight. It happened to be a gay colleague I respected very much, so I haven't really used it since.
     
  5. Flip Wilson

    Flip Wilson Well-Known Member

    At the University of Central Arkansas, the men's teams are the Bears. The women's teams are the Sugar Bears.
     
    Batman likes this.
  6. PaperDoll

    PaperDoll Well-Known Member

    No official Lady nicknames exist locally. It's just one of those random things coaches, athletic directors, and fans occasionally pull out of nowhere.

    Oddly, I despise that slightly less than schools that create creatures that don't exist by using Lady.

    There is no such thing as a "lady ram." A ram is a male sheep. There is no such things a "lady colt." A colt is an unneutered male horse. Lady Knights? Um... yeah, OK. :confused:

    As for gender-neutral positions, we've shifted to "defender" rather than "defenseman," but I can't say anyone has brought up "second baseman" as sexist.
     
  7. Mngwa

    Mngwa Well-Known Member

    Kittens are male and female for crap's sake
     
  8. SoloFlyer

    SoloFlyer Well-Known Member

    That's why humans devised subheds to label things as girls basketball or boys basketball.
     
    SFIND likes this.
  9. Junkie

    Junkie Well-Known Member

    First-ever (apologies if this is not the first mention of this).

    Control their own destiny (“their own” is enough of an abomination). You can’t control your destiny. It’s what happens.

    And my all-time pet peeve ...

    “made history.”

    Literally everything that happens makes history.
     
    Dog8Cats and I Should Coco like this.
  10. Batman

    Batman Well-Known Member

    You ever try squeezing that many characters into a one-column headline?
     
  11. HanSenSE

    HanSenSE Well-Known Member

    Feel much the same about Lady (canine nickname).
     
  12. rtse11

    rtse11 Well-Known Member

    I can't recall the specifics but I remember seeing Lady Dogs on a jersey once and I wanted to find the AD and say, "Do you realize ...?"
     
    HanSenSE likes this.
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