Standout

For some reason I bristle about certain language matters. Perhaps I am a pedant but the evolution of English expression does not always please me.  One compressed word that gets my goat is "standout". It is often used carelessly by radio and TV presenters in relation to sporting achievement. For example:-

"Smith was the standout performer for England against Wales."

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"The standout team at the tournament has been Japan."

It might also be used in relation to stage performances - as in:-

"For me the standout out show in The West End right now is 'Crazy for You' ".

I hate "standout". Google has a facility called the N-Viewer which is able to track the frequency of word use in printed books over the past two hundred years. Whereas the word "prudence" continues to decline, the word "television" continues to rise. This graph shows the rising incidence of "standout":-

It is thought  to have first appeared in the 1920's but now its usage and acceptance seems to be quite widespread. As far as can be understood, it was born in America in relation to sports but it took quite a while to gain traction. Previously there had always been "stand out" which in most circumstances I have no  problem with - as in 

In  silhouette, the  mountain  seemed to stand out  far more than the surrounding hills.

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At the identity parade, only one man appeared to stand out in the eyes of the firsthand  witness.

Instead of "standout" I prefer to say "outstanding" - as in:-

Smith was England's most outstanding player in the Wales match.

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The most outstanding team at The World Cup has been Japan in my opinion.

To commentators and other users of the slovenly term "standout", I would simply ask - "In what circumstances do you ever use the word 'outstanding'?" Hopefully this would cause them to pause for consideration.

Although we have "jazz", "cool", "hip-hop", "chewing gum" and "Big Mac"  over here in England - all absorbed from American use of English, I think we should collectively put our feet down with regard to "standout". That is arguably a bridge too far or perhaps it is already a battle lost.

from Yorkshire Pudding https://ift.tt/aSY7ZL4