The Little Book of Second Mentions The Art of Avoiding Repetition
What do Boris Johnson, Marmite and snakes have in common? They are all first mentions that have wacky and wonderful second mentions. See if you can match them up!
‘The beloved yeasty spread’
‘The hissing reptiles’
‘The clown prince of politics’
From @SecondMentions, christened ‘the best thing on social media’ by The Times, comes a colourful collection of creative linguistic curiosities.
To avoid repetition, journalists often try to be inventive when referencing something for the second time in an article – for example, Santa Claus might appear as ‘the bearded present-bearer’, while Jack Grealish might be dubbed ‘the fop-haired footie pin-up’. Once you see one, you start seeing them everywhere – and it becomes addictive.
For more than ten years, Juliet and Matthew Maguire have been collecting their favourites on social media. @SecondMentions has become a hub for journalists, linguaphiles and anyone looking for some light-hearted relief while wading through the news.
Bringing together the best and brightest second mentions for animals, actors, food, sports and more, The Little Book of Second Mentions is the perfect read for anyone with a passion for the power of the English language.
Reviews
“As a journalist for twenty-five years, I have spent a quarter of a century as a reporter trying to find alternative ways of saying the same thing in different forms. This is a very funny book and a humorous collection of printed pages that should be invaluable to any newshound – with or without 9,131 days’ experience.”
Matt Chorley, BBC Radio 5 Live
“This is an extremely funny idea.”
Victoria Coren Mitchell, Daily Telegraph
“Finally! A book that celebrates the glorious prose of the nation’s journalists in a way that I’m sure is definitely not taking the piss at all.”
Sophy Ridge, Sky News
“A great idea that celebrates the art of the journalistic quest to avoid repetition. The Little Book of Second Mentions is my favourite less-than-vast agglomeration of pages in print this year.”
Tim Shipman, The Spectator
“The Little Book of Second Mentions is a delightful book for anyone who loves words, and in particular anyone who enjoys spotting the silly knots we journalists tie ourselves in to avoid repeating ourselves.”
Stephen Bush, Financial Times
“I can’t think of a better loo read than The Little Book of Second Mentions. The frisky fun-sized compendium should be on all Christmas and birthday lists.”
Rachel Johnson, LBC
“A delightful love letter to journalism in all its excesses and silliness.”
Charlotte Ivers, Sunday Times
“Without the mini phenomenon of second mentions, British journalism would grind to a complete halt. This book isn’t just a definitive, overdue exploration – it’s a celebration.”
Adam Hurrey, Football Clichés and The Athletic
“Huge fun and a loving tribute to the great age of the Fleet Street journalist. Or should that be ‘the scribe of paper-based news’?”
Harry Wallop, The Times
“A genius – and hilarious – compendium of serial synonymic spiralling. If cows to you are ‘pasture-adjacent milk engines’, then this book is essential for satisfying your thesaurophilia. Certainly worth reading twice.”
Craig Glenday, Guinness World Records
“As a notorious bespectacled travel doom-monger working for a popular London-based online news publication, I salute the creators – and collectors – of these inspired semantic alternatives.”
Simon Calder, The Independent
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Buy this book
- Hardback, 320 pages
- ISBN: 9781785909955
-
19 August 2025
Available to pre-order - £12.99
- eBook
- ISBN: 9781837360239
-
19 August 2025
Available to pre-order - £7.99