Six Words We’re Sick of Hearing This Week in News

The past week in Lebanon, we’ve all been glued to the news watching (perhaps even experiencing first hand) the outbreak of violence in Saida between the Lebanese Army and Sunni Sheikh Ahmad Al-Assir.

Regardless of your preferred outlet, you can’t deny that every single news station seems to have the exact same vocabulary. Be it international, local, official or not, the words on every one’s lips are almost exactly and unnervingly the same. Maybe there’s no way around it, but regardless, here’s six words we’re sick of hearing in the news this week in Lebanon.

1. Sectarian

Probably the most common word of them all, “sectarian” has been thrown around haphazardly on every single news site in regards to Lebanon. Instead of blatantly stating Sunni or Shia’a or Maronite or Orthodox, news outlets prefer to take the neutral root by using a word that most non-Lebanese people probably have never heard of.

Reuters: Army win in Lebanon’s Sidon has set sectarian ‘trap’: Sunnis say
Gulf News: The Lebanese army and its sectarian penchants

2. Civil War

Whenever anything ever goes wrong in Lebanon, everyone is instantly reminded of the civil war. It’s not exactly a bad thing, but rumors of the “next” Lebanese Civil War have run rampant since the day the actual civil war ended.

The Times: “Lebanon hit by the worst fighting since its civil war”
Al Monitor: “Lebanon Threatened by Civil War”

3. Assir

He’s the new Carmen San Diego. His name’s been used all over social media sites, and he’s basically taken the internet by storm. We’re all sick of hearing about his antics and wish he would just disappear for a while. Lebanon already has a bad rap internationally, and Assir’s name is currently making it worse.

No examples necessary.

4. Tension

We get it, Lebanon is a tense country. We know. Stop telling us. Khalas ba2a.

France 24: Sidon: Lebanon’s new hotbed of Sunni-Shiite tension

5. Clashes

The word of the year, “clashes” is the news-friendly way of saying fights, skirmishes, collisions, bad encounters, struggles, low-key battles, or bouts. There’s dozens of synonyms to the popular word, but none of them have the ring that “clashes” do. Who am I kidding, I’ve pretty sure we’ve all read it tens of times in the past two days alone. “Shooting Festival” would be a welcome change of phrasing for all I care.

The Telegraph: Clashes in Lebanon as Syria conflict spills over
The Daily Star: Three Lebanese soldiers killed in south Lebanon clashes

6. Spillover

Last, but certainly not least, “spillover” is a term used to describe (mostly) Syria’s influence over the stuff that’s currently happening in Lebanon. Everyone who’s anyone in media and has read three articles on the subject is now an analyst, and they won’t hesitate to tell you that the resulting tense sectarian clashes and Assir involvement will bring about a new civil war was a result of a spillover.

India Today: Syria spill-over? 16 dead as fierce fighting rages near Lebanon mosque
The Independent: Syria spillover into Lebanon intensifies with clashes in Sidon