Amid confusion
One recent development your ‘umble scribe has noticed in respect of the vocabulary used by members of the Fourth Estate is an unprecedented rise in the use of amid.
This preposition has the following definition:
in or into the middle of;surrounded by.
A useful synonym in this context is among.
Other definitions include during and with the accompaniment of.
Needless to say. these definitions are not always adhered to by the more illiterate members of the press and poor old amid is consequently used out of context, as per today’s example from the Powys County Times.
The confusion apparent in the headline was succinctly explained by the @KeepBristolTidy Twitter account, who helpfully stated the following.
Our old friend The Guardian Style Guide has plenty to say about amid, including the following:
Some cliches make the news sound tired; this one makes the news sound as if it’s not news at all.