After some years investigating this phenomenon,  I have reached a conclusion.  We all need a crutch.  And none more than the headline generator.  It’s a human machine that lurks in a corner of every news operation, waiting to pounce on the correct verb to fit a tight space.

Here are some elements of journalese which deserve not just a mention,  but a thorough investigation….

Uncertainty prevails.

Rows brew.

Murders occur brutally.

Hurricanes pack winds.

Ever-present lone gunmen stalk the streets.

Negotiations occur during the eleventh hour.

Buses plunge into gorges.

Foes attack each other verbally.

Talks can be marathons.

Security can be beefed up.  Not an oxymoron.

Projects kick off.

Fires have been known to rage.

Mobs have been known to rampage.

Buildings are sometimes slated for demolition.

Sharks can infest waters.

Tropical jungles are known to be steamy.

Streets can be mean.

Strongmen can be dictators can be strongmen.

Drug lords are actually  kingpins.  Even when they’re queens.

Civil rights leaders aren’t killed.  They’re slain.

Mayors are embattled.  When they are caught stealing or bonking someone they shouldn’t.

Bullets riddle.

Futures are uncertain.

Trauma can be blunt.

Political matters spark crisis.

Fires are pre-dawn.  Even when they’re in the middle of the night.

Dictators are bearded.

 

Tags: #journalese