bulldog edition: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
RareProfessional, Journalistic
Quick answer
What does “bulldog edition” mean?
The earliest edition of a daily newspaper, printed late at night and available for morning distribution.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The earliest edition of a daily newspaper, printed late at night and available for morning distribution.
A journalistic term for a rush, preliminary print run of a major newspaper, often for distant or early-bird readers, produced before final edits and later updates.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both US and UK newspaper industries historically used the term. No significant regional variation in meaning.
Connotations
Nostalgic, old-fashioned print industry jargon. Evokes the era of hot metal typesetting and physical competition between papers.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in modern usage in both regions, confined to historical contexts or industry lore.
Grammar
How to Use “bulldog edition” in a Sentence
The [Publication] ran a bulldog edition.The [Publication] printed its bulldog edition at midnight.Newsboys hawked the bulldog edition.Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Historical context of media or print business.
Academic
Used in media history, journalism studies.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
Printing/publishing industry historical terminology.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “bulldog edition”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “bulldog edition”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bulldog edition”
- Using it for online news updates.
- Confusing it with a 'special edition'.
- Capitalizing it as a proper noun (unless part of a specific paper's official name).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Very rarely. The term and practice are largely obsolete due to digital publishing and changing distribution models.
The etymology is uncertain but likely references the tenacity and 'first out of the gate' nature of the bulldog breed, metaphorically applied to the newspaper being first to market.
No, it specifically refers to a physical print run of a newspaper. Using it for digital content would be incorrect and confusing.
It was primarily an English-language newspaper industry term, so its use elsewhere would have been in English-language publications operating in other countries.
The earliest edition of a daily newspaper, printed late at night and available for morning distribution.
Bulldog edition is usually professional, journalistic in register.
Bulldog edition: in British English it is pronounced /ˈbʊldɒɡ ɪˈdɪʃ(ə)n/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈbʊldɔːɡ əˈdɪʃ(ə)n/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[Publication] threw the bulldog edition on the street.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a tough bulldog racing to be FIRST to deliver the morning paper before any other dog.
Conceptual Metaphor
NEWSPAPER PRODUCTION IS A RACE (with the bulldog as the aggressive, tenacious front-runner).
Practice
Quiz
What is a 'bulldog edition' of a newspaper?