Spate of Stories: When News Pours In Like a Flood

Spate of Stories

Part of Speech: Noun phrase
Pronunciation: /speɪt əv ˈstɔːriz/
Japanese (Katakana): スペイト・オブ・ストーリーズ

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Definition:
A sudden or considerable outpouring of news articles, reports, or narratives—often on a related topic—released within a short period. The phrase emphasizes volume and intensity, sometimes with an implication of urgency, repetition, or media frenzy.

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Usage:

Following the scandal, a spate of stories appeared across major news outlets, each attempting to frame the issue from a different angle.

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Etymology:
Derived from:

• Spate – Middle English spat, originally meaning a sudden flood or outburst (particularly of water), later extended to refer to any sudden surge or rush.

• Stories – Narrative reports, especially in journalism or media.

The phrase metaphorically likens a sudden burst of media content to a flood, suggesting a rapid and overwhelming spread.

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Stylistic Notes:
Often used in journalistic or analytical writing to critique or describe the fast-paced nature of modern news cycles. It can carry a neutral tone, but frequently hints at redundancy, sensationalism, or reactive coverage.

Unscientific Doctrinaire: A Misread Label for A Priori Thinkers

Unscientific Doctrinaire

Language: English
Part of Speech: Noun phrase

Definition 1:
A pejorative term for someone perceived as ideologically rigid and dismissive of empirical inquiry or scientific method; typically used to criticize thinkers whose theories are seen as overly abstract or detached from real-world data.

Definition 2:
More specifically, a label sometimes applied—often unfairly—to proponents of a priori reasoning in disciplines like economics or philosophy, who argue that certain truths about human behavior can be deduced logically rather than derived from empirical observation.

Contextual Usage:

Sometimes those unfamiliar with Mises's body of work, take him to be rejecting empirical studies altogether. They castigate him as an antiquated, unscientific doctrinaire, unwilling to let “the real world” interfere with his writings.
— Murphy, Robert P., Choice: Cooperation, Enterprise, and Human Action

Clarification:
Although critics may use this phrase to dismiss a priori approaches as dogmatic, its application often overlooks the philosophical foundations and internal logic of such methods—particularly within the Austrian School of economics.

Etymology:

• Unscientific — un- (not) + scientific, from Latin scientia (“knowledge”)

• Doctrinaire — from French doctrinaire, “dogmatic theorist,” from Latin doctrina (“teaching, doctrine”)