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class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>Clarity</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Clarity-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Using_elegant_variation_to_add_information" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Using_elegant_variation_to_add_information"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Using elegant variation to add information</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Using_elegant_variation_to_add_information-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Former/latter" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Former/latter"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Former/latter</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Former/latter-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Title" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 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id="toc-Of_the_same_name" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Of_the_same_name"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>Of the same name</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Of_the_same_name-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Further_reading" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Further_reading"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">10</span> <span>Further reading</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Further_reading-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> 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data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238436933">.mw-parser-output .ombox{margin:4px 0;border-collapse:collapse;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;background-color:var(--background-color-neutral-subtle,#f8f9fa);box-sizing:border-box;color:var(--color-base,#202122)}.mw-parser-output .ombox.mbox-small{font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em}.mw-parser-output .ombox-speedy{border:2px solid #b32424;background-color:#fee7e6}.mw-parser-output .ombox-delete{border:2px solid #b32424}.mw-parser-output .ombox-content{border:1px solid #f28500}.mw-parser-output .ombox-style{border:1px solid #fc3}.mw-parser-output .ombox-move{border:1px solid #9932cc}.mw-parser-output .ombox-protection{border:2px solid #a2a9b1}.mw-parser-output .ombox .mbox-text{border:none;padding:0.25em 0.9em;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .ombox .mbox-image{border:none;padding:2px 0 2px 0.9em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ombox .mbox-imageright{border:none;padding:2px 0.9em 2px 0;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ombox .mbox-empty-cell{border:none;padding:0;width:1px}.mw-parser-output .ombox .mbox-invalid-type{text-align:center}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .ombox{margin:4px 10%}.mw-parser-output .ombox.mbox-small{clear:right;float:right;margin:4px 0 4px 1em;width:238px}}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output table.ombox img{max-width:none!important}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .ombox-speedy{background-color:#310402}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .ombox-speedy{background-color:#310402}}</style><table class="plainlinks ombox ombox-notice" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7e/Essay.svg/30px-Essay.svg.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="36" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7e/Essay.svg/45px-Essay.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7e/Essay.svg/60px-Essay.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="35" data-file-height="42"/></span></span></td><td class="mbox-text"><div style="padding-top: 6px; padding-bottom: 5px;"><b>This is an <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Essays" title="Wikipedia:Essays">essay</a> on pitfalls in fixing repetition.</b><br/><div style="font-size: 90%;">It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Policies_and_guidelines" title="Wikipedia:Policies and guidelines">Wikipedia's policies or guidelines</a>, as it has not been <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Consensus#Levels_of_consensus" title="Wikipedia:Consensus">thoroughly vetted by the community</a>. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints.</div></div></td><td class="mbox-imageright"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1252059228">.mw-parser-output .module-shortcutboxplain{float:right;margin:0 0 0 1em;border:1px solid var(--border-color-base,#a2a9b1);background-color:var(--background-color-base,#fff);padding:0.3em 0.6em 0.2em 0.6em;text-align:center;font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .module-shortcutboxleft{float:left;margin:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .module-shortcutlist{display:inline-block;border-bottom:1px solid var(--border-color-base,#a2a9b1);margin-bottom:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .module-shortcutboxplain ul{font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .module-shortcutanchordiv{position:relative;top:-3em}.mw-parser-output li .module-shortcutanchordiv{float:right}.mw-parser-output .mbox-imageright .module-shortcutboxplain{padding:0.4em 1em 0.4em 1em;line-height:1.3;margin:0}</style><div class="module-shortcutanchordiv"><span id="WP:ELEVAR"></span><span id="WP:ELVAR"></span><span id="WP:SECONDMENTION"></span></div><div class="module-shortcutboxplain noprint" role="note"><div class="module-shortcutlist"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Shortcut" title="Wikipedia:Shortcut">Shortcuts</a></div><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1126788409">.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}</style><div class="plainlist"><ul><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:ELEVAR&redirect=no">WP:ELEVAR</a></span></li><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:ELVAR&redirect=no">WP:ELVAR</a></span></li><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:SECONDMENTION&redirect=no">WP:SECONDMENTION</a></span></li></ul></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238436933"><table class="plainlinks ombox ombox-notice nutshell" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/Walnut.png/30px-Walnut.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="30" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/Walnut.png/45px-Walnut.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/Walnut.png/60px-Walnut.png 2x" data-file-width="192" data-file-height="192"/></span></span></td><td class="mbox-text"><b>This page in a nutshell:</b> Don't overuse synonyms — they distract readers and remove clarity.</td></tr></tbody></table> <p><a href="/wiki/Elegant_variation" title="Elegant variation">Elegant variation</a> is the attempt to relieve repetition by replacing words with <a href="/wiki/Synonym" title="Synonym">synonyms</a>. For example: </p> <ul><li>"Three homes were destroyed by a five-alarm <b>fire</b> yesterday. Neighbors reported the <b>blaze</b> about 4 pm. Two firefighters were injured battling the <b>inferno</b>. Officials called the <b>conflagration</b> suspicious."</li> <li>"<b>Pope Paul</b> waved from the balcony. As the <b>Supreme Pontiff</b> raised his hand, it became apparent that the <b>Holy Father</b><span class="nowrap">'s</span> glove had a large black stain, causing great embarrassment to the <b>Bishop of Rome</b>."</li></ul> <p>The English lexicographer <a href="/wiki/H._W._Fowler" title="H. W. Fowler">H. W. Fowler</a> coined "elegant variation" as an <a href="/wiki/Antiphrasis" title="Antiphrasis">ironic criticism</a> of this strategy. </p><p>Elegant variation distracts the reader, removes clarity, and can introduce inadvertent humour or muddled metaphors. It can confuse readers who are unaware, for example, that the Pope is the Bishop of Rome. It fails to fix the real cause of repetitive prose, which is usually repeated <i>information</i>, not repeated <i>words</i>. In other words, it is a case of treating the symptom and not the cause. </p><p>By removing elegant variation and <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Use_plain_English" title="Wikipedia:Use plain English">using plain English</a> instead, prose becomes clearer and simpler overall. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc"/> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="People_(and_chimps)" data-mw-thread-id="h-People_(and_chimps)"><span id="People_.28and_chimps.29"></span><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-People_(and_chimps)"></span>People (and chimps)<span data-mw-comment-end="h-People_(and_chimps)"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:The_problem_with_elegant_variation&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: People (and chimps)"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Elegant variation is often used on Wikipedia in reference to individuals – for example, writing "the director" instead of "Spielberg". </p><p>Here's a passage from an old version of the article about <a href="/wiki/Bubbles_(chimpanzee)" title="Bubbles (chimpanzee)">Bubbles</a>, a pet chimpanzee once owned by Michael Jackson. The elegant variation is bolded: </p> <blockquote><p>Bubbles (born April 30, 1983) is a common chimpanzee once kept as a pet by the American singer Michael Jackson, who bought <b>the primate</b> from a Texas research facility in the early 1980s. <b>The animal</b> frequently traveled with <b>the singer</b>, whose attachment to <b>the animal</b> led to media mockery.</p></blockquote> <p>This presumably emerges from an attempt to avoid repetition. But the English language already has a solution for repetitive nouns: <a href="/wiki/Pronouns" class="mw-redirect" title="Pronouns">pronouns</a> (he / him / she / her / they / them / it). When a pronoun isn't clear, just use the original word. In 99% of cases, the result is perfectly natural: </p> <blockquote><p>Bubbles (born April 30, 1983) is a common chimpanzee once kept as a pet by the American singer Michael Jackson, who bought him from a Texas research facility in the early 1980s. Bubbles frequently traveled with Jackson, whose attachment to him led to media mockery.</p></blockquote> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Clarity" data-mw-thread-id="h-Clarity"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Clarity"></span>Clarity<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Clarity"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:The_problem_with_elegant_variation&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Clarity"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Elegant variation can reduce clarity and introduce confusion. For example, it can create the impression that the identity of the person or thing being referenced is unknown. It makes the reader work harder to keep track of who or what is being discussed, sometimes requiring them to reread text — or forcing them to guess. </p><p>Consider this excerpt from the article on the film <i><a href="/wiki/Taxi_Driver" title="Taxi Driver">Taxi Driver</a></i>: </p> <blockquote><p>According to Scorsese, it was Brian De Palma who introduced him to Schrader. In <i>Scorsese on Scorsese</i>, <b>the director</b> talks about how much of the film arose from his feeling that movies are like dreams or drug-induced reveries.</p></blockquote> <p>Scorsese, De Palma, and Schrader are all directors – so which director does this refer to? </p><p>The following example of elegant variation, from the article about the band <a href="/wiki/Pavement_(band)" title="Pavement (band)">Pavement</a>, makes the sentence difficult to comprehend: </p> <blockquote><p>Nastanovich also later recalled an awkward incident where it became apparent that Godrich did not know the name of <b>the auxiliary percussionist</b>.</p></blockquote> <p>Who was the auxiliary percussionist? It was Nastanovich himself – a fact mentioned several thousand words earlier in the article, so good luck if you missed that. </p><p>This was once the lead sentence of the article about the album <i><a href="/wiki/Have_One_on_Me" title="Have One on Me">Have One on Me</a></i>: </p> <blockquote><p><i>Have One on Me</i> is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Joanna Newsom, released on February 23, 2010 via Drag City as the official follow-up to <b>the harpist's</b> highly acclaimed second studio release, 2006's <i>Ys</i>.</p></blockquote> <p>... So who's the harpist? </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Using_elegant_variation_to_add_information" data-mw-thread-id="h-Using_elegant_variation_to_add_information"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Using_elegant_variation_to_add_information"></span>Using elegant variation to add information<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Using_elegant_variation_to_add_information"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:The_problem_with_elegant_variation&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Using elegant variation to add information"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Elegant variation is sometimes used to add information. For example, the following passage from the <a href="/wiki/Beatles" class="mw-redirect" title="Beatles">Beatles</a> article tells us that George Harrison was 15 when he met John Lennon: </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1244412712">.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 32px}.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;margin-top:0}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{padding-left:1.6em}}</style><blockquote class="templatequote"><p>Fifteen-year-old Paul McCartney met Lennon that July, and joined as a rhythm guitarist shortly after. In February 1958, McCartney invited his friend George Harrison to watch the band. <b>The fifteen-year-old</b> auditioned for Lennon, impressing him with his playing.</p></blockquote> <p>This isn't the clearest or most efficient way to provide that information. It requires the reader to work out who "the fifteen-year-old" refers to — made more difficult here as the preceding sentence says McCartney is also fifteen. </p><p>It's no great riddle, but it obfuscates information to no advantage. It's simpler and clearer to introduce information in a logical, sequential way: </p> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1244412712"><blockquote class="templatequote"><p>Fifteen-year-old Paul McCartney met Lennon that July, and joined as a rhythm guitarist shortly after. In February 1958, McCartney invited his friend George Harrison, also fifteen, to watch the band. Harrison auditioned for Lennon, impressing him with his playing.</p></blockquote> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Former/latter" data-mw-thread-id="h-Former/latter"><span id="Former.2Flatter"></span><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Former/latter"></span>Former/latter<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Former/latter"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:The_problem_with_elegant_variation&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Former/latter"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1252059228"><div class="module-shortcutanchordiv"><span id="WP:FORMERLATTER"></span><span id="WP:LATTERFORMER"></span></div><div class="module-shortcutboxplain noprint" role="note"><div class="module-shortcutlist"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Shortcut" title="Wikipedia:Shortcut">Shortcuts</a></div><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1126788409"><div class="plainlist"><ul><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:FORMERLATTER&redirect=no">WP:FORMERLATTER</a></span></li><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:LATTERFORMER&redirect=no">WP:LATTERFORMER</a></span></li></ul></div></div> <p>"The former" and "the latter" are rarely the best solution to repetition. They typically obscure prose more than they clarify, and can force the reader to reread the prose. </p> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1244412712"><blockquote class="templatequote"><p>Coldplay's third album, <i>X&Y</i> (2005), was influenced by Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode and Johnny Cash. The song "Til Kingdom Come" was written as a collaboration with <b>the latter</b> before he died.</p></blockquote> <p>In most cases, just repeating the name is clean and natural: </p> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1244412712"><blockquote class="templatequote"><p>Coldplay's third album, <i>X&Y</i> (2005), was influenced by Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode and Johnny Cash. The song "Til Kingdom Come" was written as a collaboration with Cash before he died.</p></blockquote> <p>Where repeating the name feels repetitive, the cause is usually inefficient syntax. For example: </p> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1244412712"><blockquote class="templatequote"><p>Sarah and Louise went to a supermarket, where the former bought <b>the latter</b> an ice cream.</p></blockquote> <p>Without "the latter" and "the former", the sentence might feel repetitive: </p> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1244412712"><blockquote class="templatequote"><p>Sarah and Louise went to a supermarket, where Sarah bought Louise an ice cream.</p></blockquote> <p>This is an example of how repetition usually emerges from repeated <i>information</i>, not repeated <i>words</i>. As it stands, the sentence structure requires us to state the subjects (Sarah and Louise) twice. We already know who the subjects are, so this is repeated information. </p><p>The solution is to restructure the sentence: </p> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1244412712"><blockquote class="templatequote"><p>At a supermarket, Sarah bought Louise an ice cream.</p></blockquote> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Title" data-mw-thread-id="h-Title"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Title"></span>Title<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Title"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:The_problem_with_elegant_variation&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Title"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1252059228"><div class="module-shortcutanchordiv"><span id="WP:ELEVARTITLE"></span></div><div class="module-shortcutboxplain noprint" role="note"><div class="module-shortcutlist"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Shortcut" title="Wikipedia:Shortcut">Shortcut</a></div><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1126788409"><div class="plainlist"><ul><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:ELEVARTITLE&redirect=no">WP:ELEVARTITLE</a></span></li></ul></div></div> <p>The word "title" is sometimes used as a synonym for media such as movies, magazines, and particularly video games. For example: </p> <dl><dd><span class="example deprecated-content example-bad" style="font-family: Georgia, 'DejaVu Serif', serif; color: var(--color-content-removed, #8B0000);"><i>Sonic the Hedgehog 3</i> is the third main <b>title</b> in the <i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i> series.</span></dd></dl> <p>This seems to have been absorbed from press releases and video game journalism (reliable sources of bad writing). It's an example of the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Specialized-style_fallacy" title="Wikipedia:Specialized-style fallacy">specialized style fallacy</a> – in other words, copying the writing style of specialist sources without considering Wikipedia's general readership. </p><p>"Title" removes information and creates ambiguity. For example: </p> <ul><li><span class="example deprecated-content example-bad" style="font-family: Georgia, 'DejaVu Serif', serif; color: var(--color-content-removed, #8B0000);">Sega announced the title <i>Sonic Colors</i> in 2010</span> could mean that Sega announced the game or the <i>title</i> of the game.</li> <li><span class="example deprecated-content example-bad" style="font-family: Georgia, 'DejaVu Serif', serif; color: var(--color-content-removed, #8B0000);"><i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i> titles</span> might refer to the <i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i> games, films, comics or some combination of all three.</li></ul> <p>Why be imprecise? Be clear and direct and write "game", "film", etc instead of "title". Or remove the word entirely where possible: <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1248585704">@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .inline-quote-talk{color:#00B785}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .inline-quote-talk{color:#00B785}}.mw-parser-output .inline-quote-talk{font-family:Georgia,"DejaVu Serif",serif;color:#008560;quotes:none}.mw-parser-output .inline-quote-talk-italic{font-family:inherit;font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output .inline-quote-talk-marks{quotes:"\"""\""}</style><q class="inline-quote-talk">Sega announced <i>Sonic Colors</i> in 2010</q>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Titular,_self-titled,_eponymous" data-mw-thread-id="h-Titular,_self-titled,_eponymous"><span id="Titular.2C_self-titled.2C_eponymous"></span><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Titular,_self-titled,_eponymous"></span>Titular, self-titled, eponymous<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Titular,_self-titled,_eponymous"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:The_problem_with_elegant_variation&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Titular, self-titled, eponymous"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1252059228"><div class="module-shortcutanchordiv"><span id="WP:TITULAR"></span><span id="WP:SELFTITLED"></span><span id="WP:SELF-TITLED"></span><span id="WP:TITLEROLE"></span></div><div class="module-shortcutboxplain noprint" role="note"><div class="module-shortcutlist"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Shortcut" title="Wikipedia:Shortcut">Shortcuts</a></div><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1126788409"><div class="plainlist"><ul><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:TITULAR&redirect=no">WP:TITULAR</a></span></li><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:SELFTITLED&redirect=no">WP:SELFTITLED</a></span></li><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:SELF-TITLED&redirect=no">WP:SELF-TITLED</a></span></li><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:TITLEROLE&redirect=no">WP:TITLEROLE</a></span></li></ul></div></div> <p>Readers can see when a word or phrase is in a title or phrase. We don't need to tell them. </p><p>Consider this sentence: </p> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1244412712"><blockquote class="templatequote"><p><i>Batman Returns</i> is a 1992 American <a href="/wiki/Superhero_film" title="Superhero film">superhero film</a> directed by <a href="/wiki/Tim_Burton" title="Tim Burton">Tim Burton</a>, based on the <a href="/wiki/Batman" title="Batman">titular DC Comics character</a>.</p></blockquote> <p>This likely derives from a fear of repeating the word "Batman". But replacing the second mention with words such as "titular", "eponymous" or "title character" only adds redundancy. It goes without saying that the name Batman is in the title <i>Batman Returns</i>. </p><p>"Eponymous" can reduce clarity. Consider various company founders and the stores carrying their names: Benjamin Altman / <a href="/wiki/B._Altman_and_Company" title="B. Altman and Company">B. Altman</a>; Maxwell Kohl / <a href="/wiki/Kohl%27s" title="Kohl's">Kohl's</a>; Barney Pressman / <a href="/wiki/Barneys_New_York" title="Barneys New York">Barneys</a>; John Nordstrom / <a href="/wiki/Nordstrom" title="Nordstrom">Nordstrom</a>; Sam Walton / <a href="/wiki/Sam%27s_Club" title="Sam's Club">Sam's Club</a>; Kenneth Wood / <a href="/wiki/Kenwood_Limited" title="Kenwood Limited">Kenwood</a>. The names of these companies can't be predicted from the founders' names, nor vice versa. </p><p>When used with wikilinks, terms such as "eponymous" make the wikilink destination less clear (see <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:EASTEREGG" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:EASTEREGG">WP:EASTEREGG</a>). </p><p>Be clear and direct: </p> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1244412712"><blockquote class="templatequote"><p><i>Batman Returns</i> is a 1992 American <a href="/wiki/Superhero_film" title="Superhero film">superhero film</a> directed by <a href="/wiki/Tim_Burton" title="Tim Burton">Tim Burton</a>, based on the <a href="/wiki/DC_Comics" title="DC Comics">DC Comics</a> character <a href="/wiki/Batman" title="Batman">Batman</a>.</p></blockquote> <p>And there's no excuse at all for "<a href="/wiki/The_Cars" title="The Cars">the Cars</a> and their eponymous debut album, <i><a href="/wiki/The_Cars_(album)" title="The Cars (album)">The Cars</a></i>". Just say "<a href="/wiki/The_Cars" title="The Cars">the Cars</a> and their debut album, <i><a href="/wiki/The_Cars_(album)" title="The Cars (album)">The Cars</a></i>". </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Aforementioned" data-mw-thread-id="h-Aforementioned"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Aforementioned"></span>Aforementioned<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Aforementioned"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:The_problem_with_elegant_variation&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Aforementioned"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1252059228"><div class="module-shortcutanchordiv"><span id="WP:AFOREMENTIONED"></span></div><div class="module-shortcutboxplain noprint" role="note"><div class="module-shortcutlist"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Shortcut" title="Wikipedia:Shortcut">Shortcut</a></div><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1126788409"><div class="plainlist"><ul><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:AFOREMENTIONED&redirect=no">WP:AFOREMENTIONED</a></span></li></ul></div></div> <p>A word sometimes used to avoid repetition. For example: </p> <dl><dd><span class="example deprecated-content example-bad" style="font-family: Georgia, 'DejaVu Serif', serif; color: var(--color-content-removed, #8B0000);">The Standing Committee is the highest organ of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) when the <b>aforementioned body</b> is not convened in a plenary session.</span></dd></dl> <p>As with other cases of elegant variation, it's better to just write the word again, or use a pronoun: </p> <dl><dd><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1248585704"><q class="inline-quote-talk">The Standing Committee is the highest organ of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) when the <b>CCDI</b> is not convened in a plenary session.</q></dd></dl> <p>Similarly to "titular" and "eponymous", readers can tell when you're mentioning something you have previously mentioned, and it probably isn't important to point out. For example: </p> <dl><dd><span class="example deprecated-content example-bad" style="font-family: Georgia, 'DejaVu Serif', serif; color: var(--color-content-removed, #8B0000);">Huayllabamba may also refer to the capitals of <b>the aforementioned districts</b>.</span></dd></dl> <dl><dd><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1248585704"><q class="inline-quote-talk">Huayllabamba may also refer to the capitals of <b>those districts</b>.</q></dd></dl> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Of_the_same_name" data-mw-thread-id="h-Of_the_same_name"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Of_the_same_name"></span>Of the same name<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Of_the_same_name"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:The_problem_with_elegant_variation&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Of the same name"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1252059228"><div class="module-shortcutanchordiv"><span id="WP:OFTHESAMENAME"></span><span id="WP:OFTHESAMETITLE"></span></div><div class="module-shortcutboxplain noprint" role="note"><div class="module-shortcutlist"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Shortcut" title="Wikipedia:Shortcut">Shortcuts</a></div><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1126788409"><div class="plainlist"><ul><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:OFTHESAMENAME&redirect=no">WP:OFTHESAMENAME</a></span></li><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:OFTHESAMETITLE&redirect=no">WP:OFTHESAMETITLE</a></span></li></ul></div></div> <p>In articles about different works with the same title, it's common to wikilink using something like <code>[[article title|of the same name]]</code> or <code>[[article title|the eponymous novel]]</code>. For example: </p> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1244412712"><blockquote class="templatequote"><p><i>Under the Skin</i> is a 2013 <a href="/wiki/Science_fiction_film" title="Science fiction film">science fiction film</a> directed and co-written by <a href="/wiki/Jonathan_Glazer" title="Jonathan Glazer">Jonathan Glazer</a>, based on the <a href="/wiki/Under_the_Skin_(novel)" title="Under the Skin (novel)">2000 novel of the same name</a> by <a href="/wiki/Michel_Faber" title="Michel Faber">Michel Faber</a>.</p></blockquote> <p>There are numerous problems with this: </p> <ul><li>It's extremely conspicuous — its <i>only</i> function is to avoid repeating the original term, and so is uncomfortably close to actually writing "I am avoiding repeating the name here".</li> <li>It adds no information — if the title is the same, then readers can see that.</li> <li>It's often longer than the term it replaces.</li> <li>It can make it less clear what is being referred to.</li> <li>It's a cliche.</li> <li>It can remove information. (Consider <a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grado,_Friuli-Venezia_Giulia&oldid=1147835880">this</a> example: "The territory of the municipality of Grado extends between the mouth of the Isonzo and the Adriatic Sea and the lagoon of the same name." <i>Which</i> "same name"? Is it the Grado Lagoon? The Isonzo Lagoon? The Adriatic Lagoon?)</li></ul> <p>The solution isn't necessarily obvious. For example: </p> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1244412712"><blockquote class="templatequote"><p><i>Under the Skin</i> is a 2013 <a href="/wiki/Science_fiction_film" title="Science fiction film">science fiction film</a> directed and co-written by <a href="/wiki/Jonathan_Glazer" title="Jonathan Glazer">Jonathan Glazer</a>, based on the <a href="/wiki/Under_the_Skin_(novel)" title="Under the Skin (novel)">novel</a> by <a href="/wiki/Michel_Faber" title="Michel Faber">Michel Faber</a>.</p></blockquote> <p>This isn't ideal, because it isn't clear where the wikilink <a href="/wiki/Under_the_Skin_(novel)" title="Under the Skin (novel)">novel</a> leads: the novel <i>Under the Skin</i>, or the article about novels generally? </p><p>Writing out the name in full is clear: </p> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1244412712"><blockquote class="templatequote"><p><i>Under the Skin</i> is a 2013 <a href="/wiki/Science_fiction_film" title="Science fiction film">science fiction film</a> directed and co-written by <a href="/wiki/Jonathan_Glazer" title="Jonathan Glazer">Jonathan Glazer</a>, based on the 2000 novel <i><a href="/wiki/Under_the_Skin_(novel)" title="Under the Skin (novel)">Under the Skin</a></i> by <a href="/wiki/Michel_Faber" title="Michel Faber">Michel Faber</a>.</p></blockquote> <p>It may be clunky, but it beats "of the same name", which tries to mask clunkiness with <i>worse</i> clunkiness. </p><p>Alternatively, including "the" in the link text makes "the novel" unambiguous, especially when combined with the year of publication, per <a href="/wiki/MOS:LINKCLARITY" class="mw-redirect" title="MOS:LINKCLARITY">MOS:LINKCLARITY</a>: </p> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1244412712"><blockquote class="templatequote"><p><i>Under the Skin</i> is a 2013 <a href="/wiki/Science_fiction_film" title="Science fiction film">science fiction film</a> directed and co-written by <a href="/wiki/Jonathan_Glazer" title="Jonathan Glazer">Jonathan Glazer</a>, based on <a href="/wiki/Under_the_Skin_(novel)" title="Under the Skin (novel)">the 2000 novel</a> by <a href="/wiki/Michel_Faber" title="Michel Faber">Michel Faber</a>.</p></blockquote> <p>This comes at the cost of obscuring the name of the novel. That's OK if the context suggests the film and novel share the name, as in the example above. </p><p>Alternatively, we could use two sentences to reduce the sense of repetition. </p> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1244412712"><blockquote class="templatequote"><p><i>The Martian</i> is a 2015 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon. Drew Goddard adapted the screenplay from <i><a href="/wiki/The_Martian_(Weir_novel)" title="The Martian (Weir novel)">The Martian</a></i>, a 2011 novel by Andy Weir.</p></blockquote> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="See_also" data-mw-thread-id="h-See_also"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-See_also"></span>See also<span data-mw-comment-end="h-See_also"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:The_problem_with_elegant_variation&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Respectively" title="Wikipedia:Respectively">WP:Respectively</a>, discussing the overuse and abuse of "respectively".</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Further_reading" data-mw-thread-id="h-Further_reading"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Further_reading"></span>Further reading<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Further_reading"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:The_problem_with_elegant_variation&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Further reading"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://twitter.com/secondmentions">Second Mentions</a>, a Twitter account documenting examples of elegant variation</li> <li>A <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/rabbit-holes/the-twitter-account-that-collects-awkward-amusing-writing"><i>New Yorker</i> article</a> about elegant variation that mentions this Wikipedia essay</li></ul>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:The_problem_with_elegant_variation&oldid=1252282196">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:The_problem_with_elegant_variation&oldid=1252282196</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Category</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Wikipedia_essays_about_style" title="Category:Wikipedia essays about style">Wikipedia essays about style</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </main> </div> <div class="mw-footer-container"> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" > <ul id="footer-info"> <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 20 October 2024, at 17:18<span class="anonymous-show"> (UTC)</span>.</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Text is available under the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License" title="Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License</a>; additional terms may apply. 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