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OP In answer to wwh's question about a short, handy alternative to the usage of "icon" that I suggested I didn't much like, the obvious choice, at least in an entertainment or sports context, is "star." A little longer, but still quite possible in a headline in other contexts, would be "notable." I think that would have been much more suitable and indeed complimentary than "icon" in the obituary headline I quoted. Still longer but more to the point in many contexts would be "luminary" or "celebrity." I like "luminary" as a synonym for "star" because of the connotation of light that they share.
Coincidentally the NY Times crossword puzzle in my newspaper yesterday had the word "icon" as the answer to the definition "James Dean or Marilyn Monroe." Perhaps that gives some kind of imprimatur to the usage I was questioning. What do you think?
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