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 This is a continuation of my blogging here at WdC |
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This will be a blog for my writing, maybe with (too much) personal thrown in. I am hoping it will be a little more interactive, with me answering questions, helping out and whatnot. If it falls this year (2024), then I may stop the whole blogging thing, but that's all a "wait and see" scenario. An index of topics can be found here: "Writing Blog No.2 Index"  Feel free to comment and interact. |
| Jargon Following on from my column on technical terms ("20250514 Technical Terms" ), this came up – jargon. I did mention words and phrases that have different meanings to the norm, but these are actual words in formal use. Here I am going to look at some with even more niche meanings, but which are not official words or phrases. They are not technical terms – they are just words and phrases used on the job.Why? Because when writing about a group of people who know one another well or a well-established group or profession, you might want to portray them as having a language all their own. Still English, but different enough. It makes your world unique, and can be a part of world-building, creating that jargon-laden language so many have. Telling you how to do that is long and complex, so what I’ll do is list a bunch of them and hopefully you can see where the ideas come from, and utilise this to create your own. So, this is words, abbreviations, acronyms and initialisations that I have picked up in my various researches that are not exactly technical, universal terms, but are on-work jargon. Code Brown – in hospitals or police stations, something really bad is happening involving poo. Human excrement. Shit. Crop-dusting – when a flight attendant lets out a slow, silent fart while walking down the aisle of the plane. DWI – in the USA, police use DWI for “Driving While Intoxicated.” In Australia, the term is DUI, “Driving Under the Influence”, and covers drug-driving as well (remembering our more liberal drug laws). But sometimes cops will mention DWI. Most people think this means the US version… Nope. “Driving While an Idiot.” Elf On The Loose – used in retail stores for when a child goes missing during the hectic Christmas shopping period. Elf On The Shelf – used in retail stores during the Christmas madness when a child has been found and parents are being sought. Face/Heel – the good guys and bad guys in pro wrestling, now used in describing movie or TV characters as well. Face comes from Babyface, while Heel comes from the fact nothing is lower than a heel. Gone Camping – in hospitals means a patient has been moved to an oxygen tent. Hicide – another Australian police term, it means a death caused by a speeding vehicle, especially used for a motorcycle fatality. Honey Wagon – the truck used to empty septic tanks, especially from private residences. ID-ten-T Error – another tech support phrase. Why? ID-10-T… id10t… Mark – in carny speak or pro wrestling, a mark is one who does not realise that the games are rigged or the outcomes of the matches are pre-determined. PEBKAC/PEBCAK – a computer term used by people who work in IT tech trouble-shooting, especially for large companies: Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair/Chair And Keyboard. PICNIC – UK version of PEBKAC: Problem In Chair, Not In Computer. PO Box – another hospital one, slightly morbid. A patient is described as a PO Box meaning they are being kept alive as a “Parts Only” receptacle, there for organ donation only. Roo Poo – chocolate covered sultanas or peanuts; used to disguise just what is being shipped for… reasons. Sand-bagging – in professional wrestling and circus performing, it means dropping the weight and stopping co-operating. Can be because of injury or just being a dick or, often, forgetting what they were supposed to do next. Scooby Snack – a police term for a suspect who has been bitten by a police dog. Shoot The Puppy –in business, making an unpopular decision, often seen as cold and heartless, for the greater good of a company or organisation. Status: DQ – hospital term meaning “Status: Drama Queen”. Used for a patient who is, well, a drama queen. If asked, the meaning given to a patient I have heard is “Diagnosis Qualified.” So, there’s a few jargon terms that are very specific for certain occupations or situations, and can be used to hide the real meaning, so as to not upset or alarm the public, or because they just want to keep their inner workings to themselves. If making up your own, you can probably see where a lot of these come from. And why they would be used. Some are funny and abusive, yes, but all of this goes towards making people doing certain jobs feel like they are a part of an elite or special group. And humour can help alleviate a stressful situation. Don’t be afraid to invent your own. Heinlein did it in The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress with TANSTAAFL: There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. And in the Long… series Pratchett and Baxter developed “stepping” as the ability to move between worlds. Don’t be afraid to experiment. And if it fails? Delete in draft #2. Have fun! |
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Thank you for this very informative piece.
