The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-08-13
NEWSPAPER SLANG.
The Technical Phrases Used In the CT
Newspaper Omces.

NEWSPAPER SLANG.
The Technical Phrases Used In the City
Newspaper Omces.
The extraordinary growth in the press
of this country has naturally brought in
with it . multitude of new words to ex-
press its varying phases. Below viii
be found a number, many of which have
never been placed in type before for the
general reader. The advertising man"
is in many offices the mainstay of the
proprietor, and if successful, frequently
is in reality the master. His BUSINESSES
the selecting of advertisements. Blessed
is that journal which has q good agent.
and miserable is the proprietor who is
cursed with poor one. "a man on it,
is the phrase q city editor or managing
editor uses when his attention is called to
something about to happen, or which
has happened, and his answer indicates
that reporter has been detailed to at
tend to it. There is no wrong in using
this about o woman. Associated
press" is the combination of daily pa
pers in the cities, by which the news
from other cities is collected and dis
tributed in common. The amusement
man" attends to the theaters and other
shows, writing the notices and keeping
track of actors and managers. He is
sometimes the theatrical critic" but
the latter generally holds himself aloof
from the former when the paper is large
enough to employ both. The most in
teresting question to the editor in the
morning is to know whether his con-
temporaries have any news that he did
not succeed in obtaining. He looks
pleased if they have not, but still more so
if he has ''beat." This is to publish
that is of Importance as
news, and which his neighberhood
missed. A SCOOP" is larger and more
than cheat" but is of the
same nature. A 'business notice. is an
in q favored locality,
generally set in different style from
other advertisements, and sometimes
put in SO as to look very much like
reading matter. Especial notices" are
like business notices, in some newspa-
pers one being regarded as better than
the other. ''Blue pencil is the pencil
used by the reviser of copy in cutting
down or altering the manuscript that
has come in. 1t is thus used because its
mark is very conspicuous. but a blue
pencil may be of other cOlors, or even
be pen. To the wielder of this instru-
ment of torture the epithet of 'blue
pencil fiend'' is applied. Bourgeois"
is the largest type used on daily papers
Eight lines of bourgeois
90 to an inch. ''Brevier" is the size
next smaller. 1t is the editorial type
on most large dailies. and the word is
with them a synonym for
matter. Nine lines of BREWER
60 to an inch. "Big head is COM
plant to which a reporter suddenly adj
vanced to a higher position is very likely
to be subject. 1t destroys all peace and
harmony where it prevails. Reporters
and other subordinates are some
times attacked by this disease.
Blanket sheet" is term now rarely
used, but was formerly applied to large |
in folio form. "Boil her |
down" means to condense statement |
very much. To ''bite it off," on the |
contrary, is to stop where you are, only |
finishing the sentence. When the copy
reader, the city editor or the managing
editor cuts down or alters the copy OF
one of his subordinates. and the subor-
Innate thinks it has been badly done, he
says it has been "butchered." To ''cut
ler down" is the same as to ''bOil her
Town." This lefty editor" is very diff
ierent from the person of the same
name in England. The lefty editor
If the London Times is our Financial
EDITOR" The ''city editor" here is the
,ne who takes care of all local matters,
meetings, riots. courts. accidents, and,
n fact, every kind of vicinity news is
within his bailiwick. and his position, in
ome respects. is the most imp ortant on
he paper. In small cities he is known
Is the ..local editor" but this term is
,oing out of use. A correspondent"
5 one who regularly writes from
'ther places, and is distinguished from
! contributor" or the man who sends
J letter by this circumstance.
The clippings" man is the one
Who reads the exchanges, and takes
rom them what he esteems as
for his own journal. 'Clip-
'ings" is also applied to the scraps of
'aper thus cut out. Contract is the
flank upon which an agreement of the
dvertising agent with his patron is
written. Verbal orders are very rarely
eceived in large Offices. Copy is the
or reprint when ready for
The ''copy-reader' exam
mes every page of writing that goes
nto the local department, to see
whether it is ungrammatical or tautolog-
cal, or has any other fault which ne
a change. If there is any de-
ect, he corrects it. He also cOndenses
!, if needed. and frequently supplies
ew heads. 1t must be carefully exam
ned to see whether it is libelous. A
caption" is the line which goes under
n engraving, and tells what it is. A
cut" is an engraving. and also means
hat copy has been much shortened.
Covering" is applied by reporter to
ding certain thing. If house built
y Buddensiek falls down the reporter
tho is sent to see about it ''covers it."
o also the man who goes to q meeting
covers it" American Bo0kmaEer.
"A college paper criticised recently
erv severely tho studprfs who act as