Second Mentions

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The Little Book of Second Mentions, out now https://amzn.to/43oYehw | secondmentions.com | secondmentions@gmail.com

Shakira - the Colombian star, philanthropist and committed believer in the veracity of hips. Image of a podium and a trophy sitting on top.
wombles as snout-nosed, litter collecting sensations
The not immediately appealing but downright delicious Scottish delicacy
Highlighted text reads: For a start, it is largely taking place in borrowed American football stadiums (a quarter of the games are in Canada and Mexico), with the US oval ball sport leaving its mark, perhaps indelibly.
Title: Eastbourne, East Sussex. Picture of a woman walking along a cliff path. Text below reads: the granny-friendly, bucket-and-spade resort has developed an arty/wellbeing side
Screenshot from Waitrose Food magazine reading: "Waitrose cooks... Madeleines. These delicate french cakes are having a moment on dessert menus. Alex Szrok shares his secrets to mastering the shell-shaped delights"
Screenshot of a magazine page, reading "Crunchy, chewy, marshmallowy goodness - the iconic party treat is totally irresistible, whatever your age"
A short extract from Private Eye magazine that describes Evgeny Lebedev as "the luxuriantly bearded proprietor"
Brooklyn Beckham ('the celebrity spawnster', in MailOnline), meanwhile is described as "the photographer-turned-online-chef" at second mention in the Sunday Mirror, and somewhat more harshly by MailOnline as "the budding but untalented chef".
Cabbage's comeback (yes, really) It's true: cabbage is having a moment. Chefs have been pushing the fancy stuff on us for years - grilled hispi, for instance, is no stranger to trendy restaurant menus - but it seems the humble brassica is what the people really want.
A clue from today's New York Times crossword, reading "Hard-to-clean-up sparkly stuff"
The front cover of The Little Book of Second Mentions
Kombucha girl meme with girl looking disgusted and then looking interested
A page from a book, reading 'Politics: Quiz' 1. The big fiscal event 2. The once-in-a-decade statistics survey 3. The powerful political and military alliance between 30 European and North American countries 4. The Swansea-based government agency 5. The controversial drilling practice 6. The weakening greenback 7. The unchecked effluvium 8. The Marxist touchstone 9. The scalded-amphibian treatment 10. The party political prophylactics
Front cover of The Little Book of Second Mentions
Picture of a woman preparing an octopus kebab. Headline reads: The octopus kebab - Camden's fishy twist on the post-pub classic
Once you've selected a synonym for Christmas itself, the festive/yuletide/seasonal/Mariah Carey time provides a veritable feast of second mentions, starting with the big man himself. Father Christmas, or Santa Claus if you prefer, is variously referred to as 'the bearded present-bearer' for PA News, 'the man in red' for the Halifax Courier, and 'the red-robed friendly present giver' for Reading Today. Another perhaps slightly euphemistic example is 'the broad-girthed giver of joy' for BBC News, though that interpretation might just be us... We reckon we might end up on the naughty list for that one.
An article from the Guardian with the words "the noble, katana-wielding heroes" highlighted in pink
Text reading: Meanwhile over on X, journalists Callum Thomson asked for our advice when trying to come up with a second mention for Paddington Bear, writing: "Not sure I can get away with "the Peruvian marmalade muncher, can I, Second Mentions'?" Of course, we can't speak on behalf of your sub-editor, but if you need more suggestions, then perhaps take inspiration from 'the furry Peruvian emigre' in The Guardian, 'the marmalade-loving bear' in the Halesowen News and, our favourite, 'the duffle-coat-wearing ursine' from BBC News. And, if you need a second mention for marmalade sandwiches, we suggest 'the bread and orange preserve staple', which featured in The Independent.
Image of Paddington bear with text from the Guardian reading: Big belly, wavy fur and a nose for trouble: we exclusively reveal the new-look Paddington. It's been the biggest secret in theatre: what will the marmalade-loving, hyper-polite Peruvian look like in Paddington the Musical? As the curtain rises, we speak to the new bear's creator, a veteran of Star Wars and PG Tips ads
A bulletpoint list of synonyms for Greggs including 'the much-loved northern bakery chain', 'the pastry paradise', 'the sausage roll haven', 'the sausage roll stalwart', 'the pie-and-pastry giant', 'the steak-bake champion', 'the purveyor of sausage rolls and meat pies', 'the North East-based food-on-the-go firm'
Text from The Times newspaper. After the bombing, Trump called Netanyahu, describing the attack as an "unfortunate incident". He also called the emir of Qatar to reassure the Sandhurst-educated leader of the gas-rich Gulf state that his country was safe from further Israeli attacks.
How to handle a cat While flicking through The Little Book of Second Mentions, a study of how journalists avoid repetition, it becomes clear that some of the most original work is being done by the local press. For instance, when a cat interrupted a Sheffield Wednesday match the nationals went with the all-too-oft-repeqtee 'mischievous moggie', whereas only Wigan Today used the term 'the naughty tortie'. The book lists some of the many occasions when 'mischievous moggie' has been used and it seems the British press believe that the first word covers all manner of sins. It has been used for cats who have done everything from get their head stuck in a tissue box through to stealing socks, but surely it was stretched to breaking point when applied to a cat that dragged home 20 wraps of cocaine.
A quote from Adam Hurrey reading "this book isn't just a definitive, overdue exploration - it's a celebration" and a copy of The Little Book or Second Mentions in the bottom right hand corner
A quote from Charlotte Ivers reading, "A delightful love letter to journalism" with a copy of The Little Book of Second Mentions in the bottom right corner
Text reading: Many journalists will shudder at the publication of The Little Book of Second Mentions, which charts how we hacks struggle to avoid repetition. An example of this would be when one of my colleagues referred to Black Beauty as "the equine prota", but the book assures us that we are part of a tradition which dates back to Homer. The ancient poet called Odysseus "the great tactician" or "the sacker of cities", so perhaps he too would have referred to a pork pie as a "piggy comestible'". The latter is, I admit, my appearance in the book - although I'm disappointed that the authors overlooked my christening of Prince Andrew as "the sweatless wonder".
A copy of The Little Book of Second Mentions with a quote from Rachel Johnson underneath reading "I can't think of a better loo read"
A quote from Stephen Bush reading "a delightful book for anyone who loves words" with a copy of The Little Book of Second Mentions in the bottom right corner
A quote from Tim Shipman reading: "My favourite less-than-vast agglomeration of pages in print this year" with a copy of the cover of 'The Little Book of Second Mentions' in the bottom right corner
A quote from Victoria Coren Mitchell reading, "an extremely funny idea", with a copy of The Little Book of Second Mentions in the bottom right corner and the logo of Biteback Publishing in the bottom left corner
Water bladder as a ‘hands-free hydrator’
Umbrellas; the nasty, pointy, dangerous things.
A copy of The Little Book of Second Mentions and underneath is a quote from Matt Chorley reading "A very funny book"