The Little Book of Second Mentions Celebrating the wonderful descriptive ability of the world’s journalists

To avoid repetition, journalists often try to be creative when referencing something for the second time in a news article – for example, Boris Johnson at the first mention could become ‘the blond buffoon’ at the second mention, while Donald Trump could become ‘the bloviating billionaire’ (with extra points for alliteration!) Once you see one, you start seeing them everywhere – and it becomes addictive. This grammatical tool, christened ‘elegant variation’, is used by journalists trying to avoid making their articles boring through repetition, but its use is not an exact science and the results can sometimes be hilarious.

Every day, the Second Mentions team is sent examples of these, spotted by journalists who are keen to point out shining examples used by their fellow writers (or sometimes claiming responsibility for their own efforts!) and non-journalists who enjoy the simple pleasure of happening upon these ‘second mentions’ while reading news articles.

And so, from distended dachshunds to marine marauders, and from 5ft 1in. nonagenarians to pear-shaped money-guzzlers, The Little Book of Second Mentions is the perfect gift for everyone with an inventive passion for the English language – from those with a general interest in current affairs to those working in the media.

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