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False title
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False title
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A false, coined, fake, bogus or pseudo-title, also called a Time-style adjective and an anarthrous nominal premodifier, is a kind of preposed appositive phrase before a noun predominantly found in journalistic writing. It formally resembles a title, in that it does not start with an article, but is a common noun phrase, not a title. An example is the phrase convicted bomber in "convicted bomber Timothy McVeigh", rather than "the convicted bomber Timothy McVeigh".[1]

Some usage writers condemn false titles, and others defend it. Its use was originally American, but it has become widely accepted in some other countries. In British usage it was generally confined to tabloid newspapers but has been making some headway on British websites in recent years.[when?]

Terminology

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In the description of a false title as an anarthrous nominal premodifier, "anarthrous" means "lacking an article",[2] and "nominal" is used in the sense "of the nature of a noun".[3] Other phrases for the usage include "pseudo title", "coined title" and "preposed appositive".[4][5][6]

In "Professor Herbert Marcuse", "Professor" is a title, while in "famed New Left philosopher Herbert Marcuse",[7] "famed New Left philosopher" has the same syntax, with the omitted at the beginning, but is not a title. The linguist Charles F. Meyer wrote that "pseudo-titles" differ from titles in providing a description rather than honoring the person (and that there are gray areas, such as "former Vice President Dan Quayle").[4]

Usage

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The practice occurs as early as the late 19th century, as in "The culmination of the episode at Sheepshead Bay last week between Trainer William Walden and Reporter Mayhew, of the Herald … seems to reflect little credit on Editor Bennett."[8] Some authors state that the practice began in or was popularized by the American Time magazine.[4][5][7][9][10] Like the example above, early examples in Time were capitalized: "Ruskin's famed friend, Painter Sir John Millais".[7] However, now they are usually in lower case. The Chicago Manual of Style observes, "When a title is used in apposition before a personal name – that is, not alone and as part of the name but as an equivalent to it, usually preceded by the or by a modifier – it is considered not a title but rather a descriptive phrase and is therefore lowercased."[11] Meyer has compared the International Corpus of English with an earlier study to document the spread of the construction from American newspapers to those of other countries in the last two decades of the 20th century. In particular, during that time it became even more common in New Zealand and the Philippines than in the United States. He predicts that it is unlikely to appear in conversation.[4]

Meyer notes that "pseudo-titles" (as he calls them) rarely contain a modifying phrase after the initial noun phrase, that is, forms such as "MILF Vice Chairman for Political Affairs Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim" for the head of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front are rare. Furthermore, they cannot begin with a genitive phrase, "Osias Baldivino, the bureau's litigation and prosecution division chief" cannot be changed to "bureau's litigation and prosecution division chief Osias Baldivino": "bureau's" would need to be removed. He also cites Randolph Quirk's principle of "end-weight", which says that weightier parts of sentences are better placed at the end of sentences or smaller structures. Thus pseudo-titles, which by definition go at the beginning, tend to be short. He notes that pseudo-titles in New Zealand and Philippine newspapers are much more likely to exceed five words than those in the United States and Britain.[4]

False titles are widely used in Nigerian English, capitalized and with a comma separating them from the person's name. This usage is considered incorrect in other countries.[12]

Controversy

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Style guides and studies of language have differed strongly on whether the construction is correct:

Opposed to false titles

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In 1965, Theodore Bernstein, a usage writer, strongly deprecated these "coined titles". He gave an example of "a legitimate title ... combined with an illegitimate one" in "Ohio Supreme Court Judge and former trial lawyer James Garfield", which he said was an inversion of the normal "James Garfield, Ohio Supreme Court Judge and former trial lawyer" that gained nothing but awkwardness. He cited the usual lower-casing of these phrases as evidence that those who write them realize they are not true titles.[5]

In 1987, Roy Reed, a professor of journalism, commented that such a sentence as, "This genteel look at New England life, with a formidable circulation of 1 million, warmly profiles Hartland Four Corners, Vt., resident George Seldes, 96", was "gibberish". He added that the phrase "right-wing spokesman Maj. Roberto D'Aubuisson" was ambiguous, as the reader could not tell whether D'Aubuisson was the single spokesman for the Salvadoran right wing or one of many.[13] In addition to placing the descriptive phrase after the name, "where it belongs", Reed suggested that if the phrase goes before the name, it should begin with a or the.[13] Kenneth Bressler, a usage writer, also recommended avoiding the construction and suggested additional ways of doing so in 2003.[14]

The only prescriptive comment in The Columbia Guide to Standard English (2015) is that these constructions "can be tiresome."[9] R. L. Trask, a linguist, used the phrase "preposed appositive" for constructions such as "the Harvard University paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould." In strong terms, he recommended including the initial the (and employing such constructions sparingly anyway).[6]

In 2004 another linguist, Geoffrey Pullum, addressed the subject while commenting on the first sentence of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, which begins, "Renowned curator Jacques Saunière...." Pullum says that a sentence beginning with an "anarthrous occupational nominal premodifier" is "reasonable" in a newspaper,[15] and "It's not ungrammatical; it just has the wrong feel and style for a novel." He further commented that it sounds "like the opening of an obituary rather than an action sequence". False titles are peculiar to Brown's style and occur often in his body of work, Pullum claiming in 2004 that he has "never yet found anyone but Dan Brown using this construction to open a work of fiction".[10]

Merriam Webster's Dictionary of English Usage agrees that the construction "presents no problem of understanding", and those who are not journalists "need never worry about it" in their writing.[7] Likewise, The Columbia Guide to Standard American English (1993) classifies these constructions as "journalese".[9] In 2012 Philip B. Corbett of The New York Times wrote, "We try to avoid the unnatural journalistic mannerism of the 'false title' – that is, using a description or job designation with someone's name as if it were a formal title. So we don't refer to 'novelist Zadie Smith' or 'cellist Yo-Yo Ma'."[16] The 2015 edition of the paper's manual of style says:

Do not make titles out of mere descriptions, as in harpsichordist Dale S. Yagyonak. If in doubt, try the "good morning" test. If it is not possible to imagine saying, "Good morning, Harpsichordist Yagyonak," the title is false.[17]

In favor of false titles

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In 2009, usage writer William Safire stated that the article "the" gives the title excessive emphasis and that it sounds strange to American speakers.[18] According to Bill Walsh, writing in 2004, The New York Times is the only American newspaper that forbids false titles. He considers that the alternative "may seem stilted, even wacky", because false titles are in widespread use.[19]

British usage

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British style guides have in the past considered the construction not only journalese but an Americanism,[20][21] or at least less "embedded" in British English.[22] The journal The Economist proscribes the use of the false title.[20] The style guide of the newspaper The Guardian advises against it.[23] As of 2018, the BBC style guide said that the construction can avoid "unnecessary clutter".[24]

References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

False title

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from Grokipedia
A false title, also known as a half title, is a preliminary page in the front matter of a printed that displays only the work's —often abbreviated—and precedes the full . This element provides a simple, unadorned introduction to the book's identity before additional bibliographic details appear. In and , the false title typically occupies a right-hand (recto) page, starting on an odd-numbered to align with standard binding conventions. Its verso (back side) may feature a , such as an illustration or decorative element facing the subsequent , enhancing the visual transition into the content. The purpose is functional and aesthetic: it protects the full from wear during handling and offers an early, minimalist glimpse of the title to orient the reader. While common in traditional bound volumes, the false title is optional in modern formats like pamphlets or magazines, where space constraints may eliminate it. In and rare book contexts, it often appears centered and without ornamentation, reflecting historical printing practices from the onward. Literary scholars recognize it as a paratextual feature that subtly frames the reader's approach to the text, distinct from more informative elements like the or dedication pages.

Definition and Terminology

Core Definition

In , a false title refers to a descriptive or occupational designation placed directly before a person's name without an indefinite or definite article, treating the descriptor as if it were a formal rather than a common . This construction, such as "novelist " or "actress ," is considered unnatural and imprecise by many style guides because it omits articles like "the" or "a," which are essential for grammatical clarity in English. Instead, preferred phrasing introduces the descriptor with an article, as in "the novelist " or "the actress ," to distinguish it from official titles like "President Biden." The term "false title" was popularized by Theodore M. Bernstein, a longtime style editor at The New York Times, who in his 1965 book The Careful Writer described these as "coined titles"—awkward, bogus inventions inspired by the inverted style of Time magazine and adopted by wire services. Bernstein argued that such phrasing disrupts sentence structure and deceives readers by implying a level of formality that does not exist, labeling it "ridiculous" and a stylistic sin. For prominent figures, this approach balances recognition of their fame with contextual information, while for lesser-known individuals, appositives after the name (e.g., "Nasrin Sotoudeh, an imprisoned lawyer") are recommended to avoid over-formality. Major publications like strictly avoid false titles to maintain a natural, reader-friendly tone, viewing them as a "journalistic mannerism" that prioritizes brevity over precision. In contrast, the permits some appositive uses for efficiency but cautions against confusing descriptors with true titles, emphasizing that false titles can lead to adjectival pileups that obscure meaning, as seen in examples like "reputed New York Gambino family associate Guido Penosi." This distinction underscores false titles as a debated convention rooted in space-saving practices but often critiqued for sacrificing grammatical integrity.

Alternative Names and Synonyms

The term "false title" is primarily a stylistic designation in journalistic and writing for a descriptive or occupational placed directly before a proper name without an article, implying an official title where none exists. This construction, common in news reporting to save space, has been critiqued since at least the mid-20th century for its informal and potentially misleading nature. Alternative names for this practice include coined titles, a term introduced by editor Theodore M. Bernstein in his 1965 guide The Careful Writer, which describes such phrases as artificially constructed designations not derived from formal nomenclature. Another synonym is pseudo-titles, a term used by linguist Charles F. Meyer in his 2002 analysis of press genres, emphasizing the imitation of authentic titles through descriptive attribution. Additionally, usage authorities refer to it as descriptive titles, as noted by legal writer in Garner's Modern American Usage (2009 edition) and in Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage (1985), highlighting its role as an appositive phrase functioning like a but lacking status. These synonyms underscore the term's roots in style manuals and linguistic critiques, distinguishing it from true honorifics or ranks.

Historical Development

Early Origins

The false title construction, a in where a descriptive precedes a person's name as if it were an official (e.g., "President " rather than "Abraham Lincoln, president"), originated in the early amid efforts to modernize news presentation for efficiency and readability. This approach emerged as newspapers and emerging magazines sought to condense complex information in limited space, avoiding cumbersome appositive clauses that required commas and additional words. The practice gained its most influential foothold with the founding of Time magazine in 1923 by Yale classmates Henry R. Luce and Briton Hadden. Launched on March 3, 1923, in New York City, Time aimed to provide busy professionals with systematic summaries of the week's events through short, departmentalized articles blending news and commentary. To achieve this conciseness, Hadden, who led editorial development, pioneered the false title as part of a broader "Time-style" that prioritized fluid, inverted phrasing over traditional grammar, allowing for tighter prose without sacrificing identification. This innovation reflected the era's journalistic shift toward accessibility, influenced by the rise of wire services like the , which favored space-saving conventions. Early Time issues exemplified the style in profiles and reports, such as referring to figures as "Poet " to immediately contextualize their relevance, setting a template that news agencies soon adopted for broader dissemination. By the late , as Time's circulation surpassed 175,000, the false title had become a hallmark of American journalistic economy, though it drew early critiques for blurring descriptive labels with formal honors.

Popularization in Journalism

The false title construction, a stylistic device in which a descriptive occupation or role is placed directly before a person's name without an article (e.g., "Publisher Henry Luce"), gained prominence in American journalism during the early 20th century. This practice originated as an effort to achieve conciseness and vividness in reporting, particularly in space-constrained formats like weekly news magazines and wire dispatches. Time magazine, launched in 1923 by Henry Luce and Briton Hadden, is widely regarded as the primary popularizer of the technique, often referred to as the "Time-style adjective." The magazine's founders aimed to revolutionize news presentation by making prose punchier and more engaging, using false titles to integrate identifiers seamlessly into sentences without the grammatical overhead of articles or commas. Early examples in Time included capitalized forms like "Ruskin's famed friend," reflecting an initial experimental flair that evolved into standard lowercase usage over time. The adoption of false titles accelerated through major wire services in the mid-20th century, as shifted toward faster, more economical reporting amid the rise of radio and television news. and (UPI) became chief proponents, incorporating the style into their guidelines to minimize word count in telegraphic transmissions and broadcasts, where clarity under time pressure was paramount. For instance, AP dispatches frequently employed constructions like "former Republican Presidential campaign aide " to convey essential context efficiently. This dissemination via wire services embedded false titles deeply into daily newspaper and broadcast practices across the , transforming a magazine innovation into a widespread journalistic convention by the and . explicitly sanctioned such usages, viewing them as practical for identifying figures without formal titles, though always in lowercase to distinguish them from official honors. Despite its efficiency, the popularization sparked early debates over stylistic propriety, with critics arguing that false titles created an unnatural, pseudo-formal tone. New York Times editor Theodore M. Bernstein, in his influential 1965 work The Careful Writer, decried them as "coined" phrases that were "awkward" and "bogus as a three-dollar bill," urging journalists to reserve title-like structures for verified official roles. Nonetheless, the device's persistence owed much to its adaptability in high-volume news environments, where it saved punctuation and space—key concerns in an era before digital editing. By the late 20th century, false titles had permeated American journalism, influencing even international variants, though outlets like The New York Times continued to avoid them in favor of more traditional appositive constructions (e.g., "the publisher, Arthur Sulzberger Jr.").

Usage Patterns

In American English Journalism

In American English journalism, a false title refers to a descriptive phrase, such as a profession or role, placed before a person's name without an article or comma, treating the descriptor as if it were a formal title for brevity and stylistic flow. This construction, often criticized as "journalese," originated with Time magazine and wire services in the early 20th century to economize on words and punctuation in tight news copy. For instance, "astronaut John Glenn" exemplifies the form, where "astronaut" functions as an anarthrous nominal premodifier, lacking the definite article "the" that would appear in everyday speech. The practice gained traction in U.S. newsrooms during the mid-20th century as print constraints demanded concise reporting, with the (AP) Stylebook endorsing it for common occupational descriptors to avoid cumbersome appositives. AP guidelines specify that such descriptors remain lowercase and are placed before names without articles or commas, such as "peanut farmer ." However, not all outlets embrace it uniformly; style manual, for example, discourages false titles, preferring constructions like "the cellist " for well-known figures or "Nasrin Sotoudeh, an imprisoned lawyer" for others to maintain natural readability and prevent ambiguity. This aversion stems from the "good morning test," where false titles fail conversational norms—few would greet someone as "Good morning, Linguist ." Despite these nuances, false titles persist in American journalism for their efficiency in identifying sources quickly, particularly in bylines, quotes, or profiles, as seen in phrases like "author Zadie Smith" in wire reports. The approach balances informativeness with space savings, though overuse can render prose stiff, prompting ongoing debates in style evolution.

Illustrative Examples

Illustrative examples of false titles in typically demonstrate the practice of juxtaposing a descriptive immediately before a proper name, omitting the indefinite article "the" or restructuring as an appositive, which stylistically mimics a formal but refers to a profession, , or attribute. This construction, often critiqued for its unnatural phrasing, appears in various contexts to concisely identify subjects while prioritizing brevity over grammatical flow. One common example involves celebrities or public figures, where occupational descriptors are treated as titles. In a New York Times article, the phrase "actress " was used to introduce the performer, implying "actress" as an inherent title rather than a descriptive role; the preferred revision adds the article: "the actress ." Similarly, constructions like "novelist " or "cellist " exemplify this in literary and arts reporting, where the descriptor precedes the name without integration, leading to awkward attribution that suggests the profession defines the individual like a rank. False titles also emerge in political and legal coverage to highlight statuses or affiliations. For instance, a New York Times report referred to "the imprisoned lawyer ," but an alternative phrasing without the article—"imprisoned lawyer "—illustrates the false title by positioning the status as a pseudo-title, which can imply undue prominence or familiarity. In another case from reporting, "former Republican Presidential campaign aide and political consultant " served as an extended descriptor before the name, compressing complex roles into a title-like string that prioritizes informativeness over readability. Corporate or institutional references provide further illustrations, particularly in . A New York Times piece described "search behemoth " without an article, creating a false title that anthropomorphizes the company as a titled entity; stylists recommend "the search behemoth " to clarify the descriptive intent. Likewise, in tabloid-style reporting from the , was introduced as "fellow international man of mystery," a hyperbolic phrase posed as a title to evoke intrigue, underscoring how false titles can amplify dramatic effect in entertainment or scandal stories. Historical examples from syndicated columns highlight the persistence of the practice. A piece identified "Hartland Four Corners, Vt., resident George Seldes, 96," using the geographic and demographic details as a makeshift title, which stylists argue confuses identification with formal . In crime reporting by , "reputed New York Gambino family associate Guido Penosi" similarly deploys an allegation-laden descriptor as a title, risking implication of guilt through phrasing. These cases collectively show false titles' role in condensing background information, though they often invite editorial scrutiny for clarity and precision.

Regional and Stylistic Variations

British English Usage

In journalistic writing, false titles—descriptive phrases used attributively before a proper name without an article or —are a primarily for conciseness, often appearing as anarthrous nominal premodifiers to identify a person's or efficiently. This construction treats the descriptor as if it were a formal title, such as "celebrity chef Jamie Oliver" instead of "Jamie Oliver, a celebrity chef," allowing for streamlined prose in news contexts. The practice originated in early 20th-century American journalism but has been adopted selectively in British media, where it saves space without altering grammatical structure. Usage in British English is more restrained than in American English, largely confined to tabloid publications like The Sun or for sensational or fast-paced reporting, while broadsheets such as and employ them sparingly to avoid sounding overly journalistic or unnatural. For example, has referred to "Channel 4 chef Jamie Oliver" in coverage of his television career, highlighting his professional identity without additional punctuation. British style conventions emphasize that false titles must remain uncapitalized unless containing proper nouns, and they should pass a naturalness test to prevent awkward phrasing, as overuse can render sentences stilted. Although not formally prohibited, major British journalistic guidelines, including those influencing outlets like the and , discourage excessive reliance on false titles in favor of clearer appositives or integrated descriptions, viewing them as a form of journalese that prioritizes brevity over elegance. Linguistic analyses note that in , this device is particularly common in , , and political reporting, such as "former Boris " or " Harry ," but it is avoided in formal or analytical pieces to maintain readability. The restraint reflects a broader preference for precise, article-inclusive naming in non-journalistic British , distinguishing it from more liberal applications elsewhere.

Usage in Other English Variants

False titles, as informal descriptive premodifiers, are less emphasized in other variants compared to official titles, which share a similar attributive form but follow distinct capitalization rules for formal roles. In journalism, particularly as guided by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), formal official titles are capitalized when preceding a name without an article, such as "Prime Minister Anthony Albanese" or "Princess Anne," to denote the role. Subsequent references typically lowercase the title or use it with an article, like "the prime minister," to maintain clarity and avoid repetition. This approach aligns with broader Australian media practices, where informal descriptive titles (false titles) for non-official roles are generally lowercased and used sparingly unless contextually necessary, prioritizing precision over stylistic flourish. Canadian English variants, influenced by The Canadian Press Stylebook, similarly capitalize formal job titles immediately before a name, as in "Prime Minister Justin Trudeau" (as of 2021 guidance), treating them as integral to identification without an intervening article. Titles standing alone or following the name are lowercased, such as "the prime minister" or "Justin Trudeau, the prime minister," reflecting a balance between conciseness and grammatical formality in news writing. This convention is widely adopted in Canadian outlets to denote authority efficiently, though informal or occupational descriptors (true false titles) are not capitalized in this manner to prevent misleading emphasis. In other Commonwealth-influenced variants like , practices mirror Australian styles, capitalizing formal titles before names in political reporting, such as "Prime Minister " on first reference, while discouraging overuse of adjectival false titles for informal descriptors. follows similar conventions, favoring article-inclusive naming for clarity. journalism, shaped by outlets like and influenced by British styles, tends to include articles more frequently, such as "the ," aligning with formal prose traditions, though American-influenced digital media may occasionally adopt false titles for headline efficiency.

Debates and Criticisms

Arguments Opposing the Practice

Critics of false titles in journalism argue that the practice introduces an unnatural and awkward construction into English prose, treating descriptive phrases as if they were formal titles without the accompanying articles or proper appositive structure. For instance, referring to "actress " instead of "the actress Meryl Streep" or ", an actress" creates a stilted that disrupts . This "good morning test," as outlined in Manual of Style and Usage, determines legitimacy: one would not greet someone with "Good morning, actress ," revealing the phrase's falsity as a title. Theodore M. Bernstein, a former editor and style authority at , condemned false titles as a form of "journalese"—a lazy shorthand originating in wire services and popularized by magazines like Time in the mid-20th century—that sacrifices clarity for brevity. In his book The Careful Writer (1965), Bernstein described such constructions as "coined titles" that produce "gibberish" and reflect poor craftsmanship, exemplified by phrases like "software giant " which pile adjectives into cumbersome noun clusters. Similarly, in Garner's Modern American Usage (3rd ed., 2009) critiques the breeziness of false titles, noting they invert traditional word order to eliminate articles and commas, resulting in an overly casual tone unsuitable for formal reporting. Opponents further contend that false titles risk misleading readers by implying a level of formality or official status that does not exist, potentially confusing the subject's role or identity. , in a 1987 New York Times , labeled them a "fraud" and "deceptive," arguing they pose as authentic titles while being mere descriptors, as in "reputed New York Gambino family associate Guido Penosi" which obscures the subject's actual identity. This can lead to adjectival overload, where excessive modifiers like "fellow international man of mystery " bury the key information and erode precision. Style guides such as (18th ed., 2024) reinforce this by requiring lowercase for descriptive tags unless they function as true titles, emphasizing that false titles undermine grammatical integrity. Additionally, the practice is seen as condescending to audiences, assuming readers need overly simplified or pre-digested information, which can foster a "nannyish" tone in news writing. Publications like avoid it by repositioning descriptions post-noun (e.g., "Google, a search "), preserving flow without the artificial elevation of descriptors. Overall, these arguments highlight false titles as an embarrassing relic of space-constrained that prioritizes expediency over elegant, accurate expression.

Arguments Supporting the Practice

Proponents of false titles in maintain that the practice promotes brevity and efficiency, allowing writers to convey a person's role or descriptor succinctly without additional articles or commas that could disrupt flow in tight news space. This approach is particularly valued in fast-paced reporting where every word counts, as it integrates essential context directly with the name. , in his analysis of titular constructions, attributes the rise of false titles to a practical desire for economy in wording and punctuation, though he critiques the resulting breeziness as often not worth the effort. Acceptance of the form—without capitalization—is bolstered by its endorsement in the Stylebook (as of 2025), which has influenced widespread adoption across news outlets seeking streamlined identification. Style guides beyond strict newsroom policies also support moderated use. (18th ed., 2024) endorses titles in before a name without a definite article, facilitating descriptive phrasing in contexts like books or features where formal titles are absent. Similarly, outlets like employ variants such as "the cellist Yo-Yo Ma" to balance informativeness with subtlety, providing quick role clarification for readers while implying established recognition. In tabloid and , false titles add vividness and flair, serving as engaging identifiers rather than rigid titles, which aligns with the genre's emphasis on over formality. Overall, defenders highlight that when used judiciously, false titles enhance readability and comprehension without misleading audiences, as the constructions pose no inherent barriers to understanding in everyday news consumption.
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