TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
I was leafing through Jerry Dunn's "Idiom Savant" - Slang as it is
Slung. He compiled lists of words and phrases which may have a special
meaning to a particular profession, organisation or group. Such jargon
may have a totally different meaning to those outside the particular
subculture where the word usage is coined. He found his material by
tapping into newsgroups on the internet.
To give a couple of examples from the section on Journalism :-
Bulldog - first edition of the day, usually on the street the night
before.
Gooney - a fluffy story in a bulldog edition used to fill up space
until a more important story comes along later.
For Techwriters he could have used examples such as:-
Orphan - one or two short words at the end of a paragraph.
Descender- the part of such letters as p, q, and y that extend below
the baseline.
There are many we don't meet often but we should know.
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
