Headlinese

[Ace]

Didn't realize that was headlinese. I thought that was lazy, old-fashioned writing you wouldn't see in a self-respecting newspaper anymore.

Glad to know different.

My favorite, though, is mat maulers!

 

[UPChip]

My boss is definitely one of those old-school types, and tends to be a little change-resistant. OK, a lot change-resistant. Anywho, I asked him a few days about some of the most celebrated examples of the sports dialect of headlinese:

"Harriers" "Thinclads" "Spikers" "Gridders" "Cagers"

I know what they are, but when I asked him, "Do you think our readers really know what a harrier is?" he said, "We teach them what it is."

In particular, spikers irritates me because there are certain people on a volleyball court that are legally prohibited from doing said activity. However, even if he'd let me do it, it's not like I can come up with anything better.

So, in summation, do you struggle with these issues or run anything better?

It depends on roles in the sports department, namely how much experience and pull you have vs. the party that's using the old terms.

My first SE loved using a lot of those old terms ... of course, he's past age 70. When he did those, I had no experience while he had over 35 years experience, including more than a decade at that shop as SE.

Sure, I wanted to change some of those terms. But fat chance anyone was going to listen to me, no matter how much sense I might have made. Maybe my input would be more valued now, then again I may just be kidding myself.

That SE is semi-retired now. I hope he's well ... truly one of the good people I know.

Bingo. I've been here for eight months. He's been SE here for longer than I've been alive. And our sports staff is 2 1/2 people, and the 1/2's been working with him for at least 15 years (which is why it affects me-I do layout too, and often fall back on them when I draw a blank because if I get too creative), he'll just change them when I check the page anyhow.

Instead of turning this into a ***** session, what are some suggestions to fit in roughly the same space?

 

[Ace]

Perhaps you could suggest you have some kind of deck or label or sig or some device that would indicate the sport and you could avoid the issue altogether.

 

[Tom Petty]

poison.

 

[amraeder]

Ugggh, they do this at my shop and i's one of my pet peeves. I had to ask "What the hell does this mean?" for a while. I mean, thinclads, harriers?
After I'd been here a bit, and knowing it wouldn't be held against me, I said, "Man, I hate these terms. How many people even know what they mean?" but it's not like anyone cared (One writer said he liked them. To each their own I guess.)
I never use them. That's about all I can do.

 

[dooley_womack1]

The Globe-Democrat used those words in heds when I was growing up, but I haven't seen 'em in print since that paper bit the big 'un

 

[Football_Bat]

Solons, anyone?

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

And then there are the lazy-headline-writer words, the ones you can see a thousand times each August during preseason football practice, the ones that come to mind in less than one second because they're worthless and easy:

Coach Smith pleaseda with first practice
Flaming Envelopes readyb for season opener

aAren't they all?
bHow do you know they are?

But the headlinese I love are those wonderfully dull passive-voice heads:

Election results told
Survey outcome discussed

And the headlines that nobody can understand because they're worded awkwardly, but at least they don't commit the mortal sin of using "the" or "a" or slang, so they've got that going for them:

Budget green plan trucks tech growth

No, I've never seen that headline, but to a lot of readers who don't know our rules, that's how many headlines read, and they need to be re-read about five times before you get them.

Let me know when we get to the cutlinese thread. I want to give my thoughts about how so many people these days are engaged in the activity known in cutlines, and nowhere else in the known universe, as "looking on."

State quarterback Bill Smith throws downfield as running back Mike Hayes looks on.

 

[Football_Bat]

The cutlines with Stevie Wonder looking on are the best/worst.

 

[oldhack]

Solons, anyone?

Injuns
Redbirds
Bosox
Chisox
and, my favorite, Pale Hose

 

[Football_Bat]

I'm starting to see 'Rox' a lot (i.e. the Colorado baseball team).

Is that old school or new school?

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

Middle school.

 

[Ace]

Middle school.

Ka-ching!

 

[EE94]

the tilt is slated for a 7 p.m. tipoff.

ducats are still available

 

[friend of a friend]

the tilt is slated for a 7 p.m. tipoff.

ducats are still available

Arghh. Used to work for an SE who loved the word "ducats"

I would change it every damn time.

 

[doctor x]

Solons, anyone?

CHAMBER PREXY HITS SOLONS BEFORE LOCAL ROTES
(Translation: The president of the Chamber of Commerce criticized legislators in a speech to the Rotary Club.)

 

[dooley_womack1]

Juco fetes harriers

 

[JR]

Roasted nuts!

 

[Football_Bat]

HIX NIX STIX FLIX