- actionable intelligence
- bait and switch
- behind the eight ball
- best practice
- bounced check
- brain trust
- bull market
- circular file
- core competency
- face time
- fall guy
- file thirteen
- food chain
- free lunch
- game changer
- head count
- hired gun
- in the loop
- in the red/black
- in the running
- out of pocket
- push back
- put to bed
- time frame
- value added
Medicine is full of Latin words that sound intimidating but mean relatively little.
- Thyroiditis (root word thyroid + itis meaning inflammation)
- Myeloma (root word myelo=marrow+ oma meaning growth)
- Endocrinology (root word endocrine + ology meaning study of)
Although it is Latin, it is also their jargon. Medical terminology is full of acronyms. If you've ever listened to a professional conversation and been unable to follow the acronyms, you've listened to jargon.
- CT scan (computed topography)
- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
- BMP (basic metabolic panel)
- CBC (complete blood count)
- PET scan (positron emission topography).
Jargon is used as short-hand to refer to things common to people’s understanding. The art of texting has inspired an entirely new acronym vocabulary.
- BTW - By The Way
- IMHO - In My Humble Opinion
- MOTD - Message Of The Day
- FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
- CYA - See You Around
- HTH - Hope This Helps
- FYI - For Your Information
- LOL - Laugh Out Loud
- PFA - Please Find Atached
- blog
- Byte
- CD-Rom
- disk drive
- hard drive
- hyperlink
- internet
- RAM
- vlog
For fantasy and science fiction writers, building a new world can be enriched by adding a few - I stress few - new words and phrases. Make certain you clarify their meaning to the reader. Adding a dash of unique jargon brings your world to life. Too many obscure references, and you risk losing a reader's interest.
For historical writers, you have nitpicky fans. Look up when a term was first used. They love to point out your errors.
For historical writers, you have nitpicky fans. Look up when a term was first used. They love to point out your errors.
REVISION TIPS
? Turn on the Clichés, Colloquialisms, and Jargon option in the toolbox. They will be marked for you. As you read through your draft, decide which to keep and which to kill. Have you used the jargon intentionally?
? Does it mean what you think it means?
? Have you committed jargon abuse? Should you trim it?
? Does the jargon fit the time and place?
? Does the jargon fit the background and personality of the character uttering it?
For a list of some common clichés and other revision layers, pick up a copy of:
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