QuickSpore t1_j7cy867 wrote on February 5, 2023 at 9:42 PM

Reply to comment by osberend in Lead Plates and Land Claims in North America and Europe: When did the practice begin of burying lead plates to establish ownership of land, and why did it die out, and was it ever used successfully in a court of law to establish ownership? by whyenn

The modern spelling of lede is super recent. When I was in my journalism program in the 1990s it was almost always “bury the lead.” It’s only after about 2000 that the industry switched over to the lede spelling.

BeatlesTypeBeat t1_j7d2061 wrote on February 5, 2023 at 10:08 PM

This page says it was first used in 1965 but I could see it taking a few decades to catch on everywhere.

QuickSpore t1_j7d3g84 wrote on February 5, 2023 at 10:19 PM

That wouldn’t surprise me. Things can have decades long backgrounds before they become commonly known.

It definitely wasn’t in use at my school, my internships, or my first couple jobs. It’s interesting that according to Merriam-Webster they didn’t recognize lede as an appropriate variant spelling till 2008. That vibes with my experience trying to stay in the journalism industry.