What the heck is 'fresh' bombing?

Once again on the BBC, a headline "Many die in fresh Iraq bombings":

A suicide bomber in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, has killed at least 12 people in an attack on a bus.

So what's with the use of the word 'fresh'?

Is it an attempt to sanitise the event? Or simply down to the poor English. What's wrong with 'further' or 'more'?

I just think the word 'fresh' doesn't sound right (and the dictionary tends to support this.) Considering they're reporting this on an almost daily basis, the repeated use of 'fresh' is really starting to grate...

I think it makes sense. Fresh, new, more.

Originally Posted by Damien

I think it makes sense. Fresh, new, more.

The thing is it doesn't make sense, if you look at the dictionary definition for fresh.

[Halcyon]

Seems to make sense. Fresh is implying its new and the latest.

Originally Posted by Halcyon

Seems to make sense. Fresh is implying its new and the latest.

Hmm, let's have a look at 17 definitions of 'fresh' (from answers.com):

1. New to one's experience; not encountered before.
2. Novel; different: a fresh slant on the problem. See synonyms at new.
3. Recently made, produced, or harvested; not stale or spoiled: fresh bread.
4. Not preserved, as by canning, smoking, or freezing: fresh vegetables.
5. Not saline or salty: fresh water.
6. Not yet used or soiled; clean: a fresh sheet of paper.
7. Free from impurity or pollution; pure: fresh air.
8. Additional; new: fresh evidence.
9. Bright and clear; not dull or faded: a fresh memory.
10. Having the glowing, unspoiled appearance of youth: a fresh complexion.
11. Untried; inexperienced: fresh recruits.
12. Having just arrived; straight: fashions fresh from Paris.
13. Revived or reinvigorated; refreshed: I was fresh as a daisy after the nap.
14. Fairly strong; brisk: a fresh wind.
15. Informal. Bold and saucy; impudent.
16. Having recently calved and therefore with milk. Used of a cow.
17. Slang. Excellent; first-rate.

I'd say that it's about the worst synonym for 'new' one might choose for describing a bombing and it's completely not a synonym for 'more'.

[BBKing]

It implies that there have been frequent events of a similar nature in the recent past, which this event is a continuation of. Which seems to be a fair summary of events in Iraq since we f'cked the place up. It's one of those news organisation English usages.

[Stephen]

Makes sense to me. Its a new lot of bombings.

So Fresh= New, more

For example Fresh milk, we have all had milk before but this is new and not the same. (not the best comparision, but I know what I am talking about)

Originally Posted by DarthYoda

So Fresh= New, more

For example Fresh milk, we have all had milk before but this is new and not the same. (not the best comparision, but I know what I am talking about)

So you'd go out to buy a fresh car? Or a fresh suit for work? How about having a fresh girlfriend, or fresh baby.

Lots of examples where we might use 'new' but we'd never use 'fresh'. Yet, in each case, something we had before, this is just a new one.

So why do they chose 'fresh' to describe bombings, when 'new' or 'latest' would be at least as accurate and not quite so incongruous.

[Xaccers]

Originally Posted by BBKing

since we f'cked the place up. It's one of those news organisation English usages.

As opposed to how Saddam messed things up?
Or don't the hundreds of thousands of shiite men and boys being shot and dumped into mass graves, and minority sunni rule not messed up for you?

Originally Posted by BBKing

It implies that there have been frequent events of a similar nature in the recent past, which this event is a continuation of. Which seems to be a fair summary of events in Iraq since we f'cked the place up.

I'm not suggesting otherwise.

Originally Posted by BBKing

It's one of those news organisation English usages.

In my opinion bad English usage. But considering the wide support the word 'fresh' is getting in this context, I have to assume that it's down to a general decline, rather than a single editor's lack of writing skill.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by ScaredWebWarrior

Hmm, let's have a look at 17 definitions of 'fresh' (from answers.com):

I'd say that it's about the worst synonym for 'new' one might choose for describing a bombing and it's completely not a synonym for 'more'.

Erm, it is *additional* bombing, therefore, the use of fresh, whilst not being the best grammer, is correct.

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by ScaredWebWarrior

So you'd go out to buy a fresh car? Or a fresh suit for work? How about having a fresh girlfriend, or fresh baby.

Lots of examples where we might use 'new' but we'd never use 'fresh'. Yet, in each case, something we had before, this is just a new one.

So why do they chose 'fresh' to describe bombings, when 'new' or 'latest' would be at least as accurate and not quite so incongruous.

But what you are saying is daft. Fresh is used to describe lots of things that may not be new but are seperate and different from the last.

New is normally something happening for the first time, where as fresh describes something that may have been out or happened before, but that is seperate from that hence the word fresh.

Who cares if is 'bad' english. We all know what it means, i doubt it bothers many people

[BBKing]

Originally Posted by Stuart C

grammer,

And not the best spelling, either!

Or don't the hundreds of thousands of shiite men and boys being shot and dumped into mass graves, and minority sunni rule not messed up for you?

I'm getting cheesed off with this constant repetition without evidence of any reasonable understanding of the current situation in Iraq. Wake up and smell the coffee* - if all you can come up with is 'Saddam was a b*st*rd' repeated three hundred times then you really have lost the argument.

* Brewed in Abu Graibh and Fallujah and served piping hot by President Ahmabitofaloony as he surveys the new territory we just handed him and gets the nuclear blueprints out.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by BBKing

And not the best spelling, either!