“Lööppi” in English?

[Jukka Aho]

Another discussion thread got me wondering... what is lööppi properly called in English?

Wikipedia defines lööppi – from Swedish löpsedel – as a daily-changing ad poster for the current issue of a (yellow-press) tabloid publication.

A lööppi can often be considered an alternative version of the front page of today’s issue. it featurers similar headlines and quotes as the actual front page of the paper but the content is presented in even more simplistic, eye-catching format, designed to be readable from afar.

Stores will often place the daily lööppi posters in special ad frames on their front door so that the passers-by are subjected to the lööppi headlines and will maybe pop in to buy a copy of today’s issue. Here’s a picture of a typical in-store checkout counter magazine stand for the two leading tabloids in Finland. You can see the lööppi ad posters attached above the actual copies of papers – Iltalehti is sold out in this picture, it seems, so their lööppi (or the actual front page) was apparently more effective in selling the issue this day. A new lööppi poster will be designed, printed and delivered to the retailers for each issue.

Does such daily updated tabloid ad poster concept exist in the English-speaking world, and if so, do those posters have a specific name?

Some lööppis for your entertainment. Sometimes the word lööppi is, by extension, used to refer to the actual (scandalous) headlines in the posters rather than just the posters themselves.

[AldenG]

I'm not sure, but I think maybe "broadside" or "broadsheet" can be used that way, although it properly refers to some kind of paper format. I think maybe it contrasts to tabloid format.

[Karhunkoski]

Some options:

Placard
Bill

[Rosamunda]

"Read All About It!" is the catch-phrase used by sellers (paper-boys) who would stand in the street selling newspapers. They would shout out the headlines (or "leaders") to attract passers-by, and were no doubt using similar "lööppi" tactics to sensationalise the news and lure people into buying the papers. Don't see them around any more though.


Here they use "headline placards":
http://www.kuluttajavirasto.fi/en-GB/ar ... ing-debate

[Upphew]

Here they use "headline placards":
http://www.kuluttajavirasto.fi/en-GB/ar ... ing-debate

I'd be quite wary of translations from Finnish sites. There was a thread here where someone asked about gas stoves, and when I searched Tukes for info, they happily thought that hose and pipe are same thing (letku in Finnish site and doing installations with pipe are not for a lay person).

[sinikala]

Does such daily updated tabloid ad poster concept exist in the English-speaking world

At least in the UK and US, the concept is quite alien.

The front page on most english speaking newspapers carry the headline and part the story, compared to Iltalehti or Iltasanoma which carry a headline, a picture of a bimbo, a couple of lines about what's inside and an advert or two. The front page of HS often carries a full page advert and no news at all, I find that pretty bizzare. It seems that Finnish newspapers have front pages which are more like magazines, and carry little or no news.

UK shops tend to carry a variety of national papers, all stacked in piles, there are rarely big advertisements saying what the newspaper is. The exception is regional papers (London Evening Standard, MEN, Liverpool Echo etc), which are often sold in higher volumes locally, these may have their own rack, but there tends just to be the name of the paper, not an advert.

As you probably know, in the US they have automats everywhere for newspapers. The ones I've seen rarely have adverts, just the front page is visible.


In England if street vendors have a stand or stall, it will either have a transparent placard - behind which they display a copy of the front page, or they will have a board with the name of the paper at the top and place where the latest headline can be written. These need to be changed quite often as many papers have early and late editions so headlines can change several times per day. Here is an example or two.

[Jukka Aho]

The front page of HS often carries a full page advert and no news at all, I find that pretty bizzare. It seems that Finnish newspapers have front pages which are more like magazines, and carry little or no news.

It wasn’t always like that and some papers have switched back and forth (Ilkka, for instance, used to have an ad or two on their front page but the last time they refreshed their design they got rid of it.) The cover stories – even when seemingly more complete than just a headline – are usually compacted teasers for the actual, longer stories found in the inner pages, though.

In Finland, people usually subscribe to their national/regional/local “quality” paper and only buy the tabloids separately. The front page might not be that important selling point for a subscription-based paper, which in turn might serve as an explanation for the ads taking over it.

In England if street vendors have a stand or stall, it will either have a transparent placard - behind which they display a copy of the front page, or they will have a board with the name of the paper at the top and place where the latest headline can be written. These need to be changed quite often as many papers have early and late editions so headlines can change several times per day. Here is an example or two.

Thanks. I wonder if there’s a specific English term for these. That concept is actually pretty close to a lööppi – the main differences being the Finnish lööppis are not updated/changed throughout the day and a typical lööppi might feature two or three headlines, maybe a quote from a person and a picture, usually in black and white (as they apparently don’t use full four-color offset printing for them.)

[otyikondo]

I think the free Metro uses something more akin to the British news vendor's board - with just a text headline of the story they are carrying that day. I have occasionally noticed them as I walk out of our local K-Market. In some sense, the word "flyer" could be used, as it is basically an promo advert, though a flyer is usually a pullout insert.

One of my favourite memories of the UK - I wonder if they still do it? - is trying to decipher what the Evening Standard et al news vendors were shouting.

Usually it was "owldawennaaahsss".

A clap on the back for anyone who gets it.

Not so VERY long ago, The Times front page was all classified ads. Hesari breaks with its advertising tradition on Christmas Eve (but not at Easter), and also - famously - did so on a certain day in September 2001.

[j.petsku]

I don't think there is a direct corollary, but words such as "poster," "flyer," and "bulletin" would sound fairly natural in such a context. Another possibility is "billboard." Aside from the more common usage of billboard, the American Heritage Dictionary lists the following as a definition: "An introductory list of highlights from the program or text that follows, such as in a broadcast or magazine."

[AldenG]

I think Karhunkoski got it right -- I see that Googling newspaper placards yields many hits of the type you're looking for and almost nothing else.

Apparently broadside is a larger category that would include such placards but also many other public communications with more specific content not meant to refer the reader to a separate source.

[AldenG]

Usually it was "owldawennaaahsss".

A clap on the back for anyone who gets it.

All the winners?

Is there horse betting or something similar in Blighty?

My oddest language memory from Hong Kong is

Myyydedopleee!