| Last Hussar | 16 Dec 2009 5:55 p.m. PST |
Romp- Tabloid word meaning 'they had sex' The more central to the story, or the less like a straight missionary with your wife, the more likely Romp will be used. If you make love once a week with your wife, you are not 'romping' unless you are this couple: link Adjudged- Only used by sports journos for an officials decision that brought the game back from a advantageous position. "He thumped the ball into the goal, but was adjudged offside" Quaffed- Rich people drinking expensive booze (usually champagne), usually with disregard to the privations of the poor, or the fact it could be presented by the hacks as inappropriate at the time. "Despite making half the workers redundant, the Fat Cat directors quaffed champagne at the AGM". Washed down- Like Quaffed, but after expensive food. |
| DesertScrb | 16 Dec 2009 6:03 p.m. PST |
Then there's "Canoodling" -- evidently something that can only take place with supermodels. |
 John the OFM  | 16 Dec 2009 6:40 p.m. PST |
Ooooh…
I have often thought of starting a topic like this, but it had to do with phrases used only in press releases, or in opining to the press.  My contributions:
"A chilling effect…"
"Outraged…"
"I am saddened…" "Outraged" is one of my favorites. A woman Cosmonaut was launched at a Soyuz or something. The testerone laden male crew greeted her with somethng on the order of "Welcome Svetlana! We have your apron and dishrag ready!"
So, who did the newsies go to toot sweet for a comment? Phil Donahue! Who else? His comment? "I am, of course, outraged…" |
| Whatisitgood4atwork | 16 Dec 2009 7:40 p.m. PST |
The below only apply to the tabloid press, which are not to be taken seriously anyway. 'Boffins'. As in "WWII bomber found on moon. Boffins stumped." I think the phrase may have been current in the aforementioned war, but not since. 'Love child'. Don't journalists love theirs? 'Shock!' Applied to anything mildly surprising. If that. |
| DesertScrb | 16 Dec 2009 8:29 p.m. PST |
A couple more terms peculiar to journalism: "Embattled" – about to be fired. "Feisty" – a woman. "Spokesweasel" – a friend of mine who is a PR flack actually refers to himself this way. |
| Prince Rupert of the Rhine | 17 Dec 2009 2:32 a.m. PST |
Tank – any military vehicle with a gun
machine gun – any gun used by the military |
| Doug em4miniatures | 17 Dec 2009 2:52 a.m. PST |
"Hero" – anyone in sport who actually does the job they're paid for. Doug |
| Mrs Pumblechook | 17 Dec 2009 5:50 a.m. PST |
I favourite recently was that one of our politicians suffered a "brutal attack", reading further into the story, he was hit several times with a rolled up newspaper |
| Sue Kes | 17 Dec 2009 7:04 a.m. PST |
Comparative journalese - "Doctor attacked by thug" cf "Wife attacked by boy,17" "MP denies wrongdoing" cf "Woman, 42, accused of fraud" We haven't come that far, have we, girls? |
| Streitax | 17 Dec 2009 8:31 a.m. PST |
The use of 'arguably' has spread like wildfire, or more like the plague. |
 Parzival | 17 Dec 2009 11:34 a.m. PST |
"Assault rifle" for a gun that fires one shot with each pull of the trigger… which most people assume any gun can do anyway. |
| Last Hussar | 17 Dec 2009 5:09 p.m. PST |
'Plucky'. Outside of a Noel Coward play, the tabloids are the only users. Actually, I'm more concerned I share thought processes with the OFM. |
| JackWhite | 18 Dec 2009 12:49 p.m. PST |
Using Democrat as an adjective. As in Democrat Party. Don't want to use the word Democratic. That might actually connote Democracy. JW |
| imrael | 21 Dec 2009 5:52 a.m. PST |
Swoop – particularly at midnight or dawn – something only the police can do. Super as a prefix – Superbug, Supergrass Tzar – ie drugs Tzar, hospital Tzar. Ditto supremo. Another odd trait is the desire to classify every substance in the known universe as either curing or causing cancer, and often both. |
| imrael | 21 Dec 2009 5:53 a.m. PST |
ps I think it was Terry Prachett who defined quaffing as "just like drinking, only you spill more". |
| Mardaddy | 21 Dec 2009 2:57 p.m. PST |
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| Last Hussar | 21 Dec 2009 7:08 p.m. PST |
Another odd trait is the desire to classify every substance in the known universe as either curing or causing cancer, and often both.
Ah The Daily Mail special
link
Note how he realised he had taken on too much! |
The G Dog  | 24 Dec 2009 1:01 p.m. PST |
"Weapons of Mass Destruction" So overused that it is in danger of losing all meaning. When an AK-47 is a 'weapon of mass desctruction' you might as well pull out the stops and use the NBC stuff. |
| Last Hussar | 27 Dec 2009 9:06 a.m. PST |
AK47- when you absolutely, positively have to kill every mother  er on the planet. |
| ge2002bill | 11 May 2011 9:38 p.m. PST |
"The enemy launched a major attack today. Five people were killed/wounded." I hear stuff like this all the time on the television.
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If that is major, what was Cannae, Antietam, Omaha Beach, etc?
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Oh well,
Bill |
