Many pages would be required to list all the so-called bromides that have been worn threadbare by constant use and abuse in newspapers. Often these phrases are used to avoid what the writer believes to be annoying repetition. It is better to use the word fire many times in a paragraph than to use the word conflagration once.
So many phrases have become hackneyed in newspapers that the comic magazines make jokes about them. This is from Puck:
A NEWSPAPER DICTIONARY
Appropriate Exercises.—What the celebration opened with.
Good-Natured Crowd.—People out on election night.
Firm, Clear Tones.—What the bride uttered the responses in.
Heart of the Business Section.—District threatened by fire. (See under control.)
Land Office Business.—What the charity bazaar did. (See pretty girls.)
Luscious Bivalve.—What the pearl was found in. (See poor shoemaker.)
Musical Circles.—What the hostess is prominent in. (See artistic interpretation.)