Japanese names see names.
jib, gibe, gybe
| jib (noun) | sail or boom of a crane |
| jib (verb) | to balk or shy |
| gibe (verb) | to scoff or flout |
| gibe (noun) | taunt |
| gybe (verb) | to alter course |
Don’t jibe.
jihad is the Arabic word for struggle. For modern Muslims, it may mean military war to propagate Islamism, that is, to spread Islam as a religious, political and social ideology (jihad of the sword). Or it may mean spiritual striving for personal purification and moral betterment (jihad against oneself). Or it may merely mean doing right, improving society and being virtuous (jihad of the tongue or of the hand). A religious obligation for all Muslims, jihad is for most a non-violent duty, though for some a violent one. Do not therefore use it simply to mean holy war, which it never did in classical Arabic. Rather, make clear what sort of jihad is under discussion in the context.
Someone engaged in jihad is a mujahid (plural, mujahideen) or a jihadist. Logically, mujahideen and jihadists might be considered to be engaged in a struggle that could be either violent or non-violent. In practice, the terms nowadays are always used of Muslims engaged in an armed struggle, though mujahideen may simply be Muslim militants fighting for a cause, whereas jihadists are always fighting to spread Islamism by force.
journalese and slang Do not be too free with slang like He really hit the big time in 2001. Slang, like metaphors, should be used only occasionally if it is to have effect. Avoid expressions used only by journalists, such as giving people the thumbs up, the thumbs down or the green light. Stay clear of gravy trains and salami tactics. Do not use the likes of. Use sparingly such terms as Big Pharma (big drug firms).
Try not to be predictable, especially predictably jocular. Spare your readers any mention of mandarins when writing about the civil service, of their lordships when discussing the House of Lords, and of comrades when analysing communist parties. Must all stories about Central Asia include a reference to the Great Game? Must all lawns be manicured? Must all small towns in the old confederacy be called the buckle on the Bible belt? Are drug-traffickers inevitably barons? Must starlets and models always be scantily clad? Is there any other kind of wonk than a policy wonk?
Resist saying This will be no panacea. When you find something that is indeed a panacea (or a magic or silver bullet), that will indeed be news. Similarly, hold back from offering the reassurance There is no need to panic. Instead, ask yourself exactly when there is a need to panic.
In general, try to make your writing fresh. It will seem stale if it reads like journalese. Prose such as this is often freighted with codewords (writers apply respected to someone they approve of, militant to someone they disapprove of, prestigious to something you won’t have heard of). The story usually starts with First the good news, inevitably to be followed in due course by Now the bad news. An alternative is Another week, another bomb (giving rise to thoughts of Another story, another hackneyed opening). Or, It was the best of times, it was the worst of times – and certainly the feeblest of introductions (except when Dickens first thought of it). A quote will then be inserted, attributed to one (never an) industry analyst, and often the words If, and it’s a big if … Towards the end, after an admission that the author has no idea what is going on, there is always room for One thing is certain, before rounding off the article with a negative and … any time soon.
See also clichés, headings and captions, metaphors.