Cod digits and striped equids: new book celebrates media staple ‘the second mention’

Married monographers have collated sometimes absurd word choices through which journalists avoid repetition

What would you do with “cod digits”? Can you identify a “monochrome mammal”? And what on earth is an “unfortunate ungulate”? They are all attempts by journalists – either elegant or absurd, depending on your outlook – to avoid repeating a noun already featured in an article. In the cases above, they are genuine journalistic attempts to describe fish fingers, a panda and a sheep stuck in a car.

Spotting examples of eye-catching “second mentions” became a hobby for couple Juliet and Matthew Maguire. They began collecting examples after Juliet encountered them during her journalism training. Their interest grew into a social media account, which became a lively exchange of the distinctive descriptors.