Proofreading Course
The No-Nonsense Proofreading Course Blog
  • Home
  • Proofreading Course
  • About the Author
  • Reviews
    • FAQ
  • Proofreading Exercises
  • Proofreading Stuff
    • How to Become a Proofreader
    • Proofreading Marks AKA Proofreading Symbols
    • Proofreading Test
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Store

5/10/2010

Pay Attention, Mentee; It's Time to Upskill. You'd be a Plank Not to.

2 Comments

Read Now
 
Proofreading Course. Neologism. Plank.
As a proof reader, it’s vitally important that you keep up with the latest neologisms. You don’t want to mark up a proof, confident that you’ve highlighted some real humdingers, only to discover the only thing you’ve successfully drawn attention to is your own inability to ‘get with the times’ (that’s how the kids put it, I believe).

Take a good look at your dictionary. If it looks like something that’s been rescued from a war zone (and smells like something from an Edgar Allen Poe story), it’s probably time to invest in a new one. New words are added to the English vocabulary every year. So, the older your dictionary, the more impoverished your vocabulary is likely to be.

There are a number of great (and entirely free) online dictionaries to choose from. If, like me, however, you gain a certain amount of comfort from the physical artefact of a ‘real’ book (the rustle of paper, the smell of ink and page preserver), why not pop along to our Amazon store and browse away.

The following neologisms are from the revised eleventh edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary.

abdominoplasty
n. Medicine a surgical operation involving the removal of excess flesh from the abdomen.

aerobicized or aerobicised
adj. (of a person's body) toned by aerobic exercise: aerobicized Hollywood women.

agroterrorism
n. terrorist acts intended to disrupt or damage a country's agriculture.
– derivatives: agroterrorist n.

bahookie
n. Scottish a person's buttocks.
– origin 1930s: prob. a blend of behind and hough + -ie.

best
– phrases: best of breed
– any item or product considered to be the best of its kind.

blowback
n.
2. chiefly US the unintended adverse results of a political action or situation.

celebutante
n. a celebrity who is well known in fashionable society.
– origin 1930s: blend of celebrity and debutante.

crunk
n. a type of hip-hop or rap music characterized by repeated shouted catchphrases and elements typical of electronic dance music, such as prominent bass.
adj. US, chiefly black slang (of a person) very excited or full of energy.
– origin 1990s: perh. an alt. past part. of crank1 or a blend of crazy and drunk.

elephant
– phrases: the elephant in the room a major problem or controversial issue which is obviously present but avoided as a subject for discussion because it is more comfortable to do so.

emulsion
n.
1.
– a fine dispersion of one liquid or puréed food substance in another: ravioli with pea and ginger emulsion.

hardscape
n. chiefly US the man-made features used in landscape architecture, e.g. paths or walls, as contrasted with vegetation.
– derivatives hardscaping n.

hoody (also hoodie)
n.
– informal a person, especially a youth, wearing a hooded top.
– origin 1960s: of unknown origin.

mentee
n. a person who is advised, trained, or counselled by a mentor.

mesotherapy
n. (in cosmetic surgery) a procedure in which multiple tiny injections of pharmaceuticals, vitamins, etc. are delivered into the mesodermal layer of tissue under the skin, to promote the loss of fat or cellulite.

mzee
n. (in East Africa) an older person; an elder.
– origin Kiswahili, 'ancestor, parent, old person'.

obesogenic
adj. tending to cause obesity.

plank
n.
3. Brit. informal a stupid person.

ponzu
n. (in Japanese cookery) a sauce or dip made with soy sauce and citrus juice.
– origin Japanese, from pon 'smack, pop' + zu, from su 'vinegar'.

radge Scottish informal
n. a wild, crazy, or violent person.
adj. wild, crazy, or violent.
– origin 1920s: appar. an alt. of rage.

rendition
n.
3. (also extraordinary rendition) (especially in the US) the practice of sending a foreign criminal or terrorist suspect covertly to be interrogated in a country with less rigorous regulations for the humane treatment of prisoners.

retronym
n. a new term created from an existing word in order to distinguish the original referent of the existing word from a later one that is the product of progress or technological development (e.g. acoustic guitar for guitar).
– origin 1980s: blend of retro- and -onym.

riffage
n. informal guitar riffs, especially in rock music.

shoulder-surfing
n. the practice of spying on the user of a cash-dispensing machine or other electronic device in order to obtain their personal identification number, password, etc.
– derivatives: shoulder-surfer n.

SIPP
n. (in the UK) a self-invested personal pension, a pension plan that enables the holder to choose and manage the investments made.

therapize or therapise
v. subject to psychological therapy: you don't need to therapize or fix each other.

tri-band
adj. (of a mobile phone) having three frequencies, enabling it to be used in different regions (typically Europe and the US).

twonk
n. Brit. informal a stupid or foolish person.
– origin 1980s: perh. a blend of twit1 or twat and plonker.

upskill
v. [often as noun upskilling] teach (an employee) additional skills.
• (of an employee) learn additional skills.

wedge issue
n. US a very divisive political issue, regarded as a basis for drawing voters away from an opposing party whose supporters have diverging opinions on it.

Yogalates (also trademark Yogilates)
n. a fitness routine that combines Pilates exercises with the postures and breathing techniques of yoga.
– origin 1990s: blend of yoga and Pilates.

zombie
n.
3. a computer controlled by a hacker without the owner's knowledge, which is made to send large quantities of data to a website, making it inaccessible to other users.

Share

2 Comments
LayoutSeed link
5/11/2010 05:06:04 pm

Pretty good post. I just came by your blog and wanted to say that I’ve really enjoyed reading your blog posts. In any case I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again soon!

Reply
Mike Sellars link
5/12/2010 01:34:54 am

Thank you for your kind remarks.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

Details
    Testimonials
    “I am one of those many fools who paid a huge amount of money for a useless course. This book... has opened so many doors for me. I now look on Mike as my mentor as I embark on a career. Thank you Mike.” 
    Emma Steel, Proofreader and International Structural Editor.

    “ I thoroughly enjoyed the course and am so glad that I decided to take it... the whole experience was invaluable. My proofreading service is now well established and your course played no small part in getting it off the ground.”
    Hache L. Jones, Proofreader.

    “I'd just like to thank you first of all for writing such a great, straight forward eBook, and then going above and beyond what I would even expect as a customer by providing us, completely free of charge, updated versions months later!” 
    Rachel Gee, Trainee Proofreader.

    “What can I say? Worth every penny and then some! God Bless! This a fabulous course.” 
    Teresa Richardson, Proofreader.

    ​“As someone who has effectively been proofreading for thirty years, I found Mike’s No-Nonsense Proofreading Course an invaluable introduction and a very useful practical guide to many aspects of this discipline. I can wholeheartedly recommend it as the ideal starting point, and much more besides.”

    ​Jeremy Meehan, Proofreader.

    Blog Author

    My name's Mike Sellars and I'm an experienced proofreader and the author of The No-Nonsense Proofreading Course. Click here to find out more about me.

    Proofreading Course Author, Mike Sellars
    My Google+ Profile

    RSS Feed

    The No-Nonsense Proofreading Course

    $53.99
    View Details

    A Fraction of the Cost of Other Proofreading Courses


    NOTE: Stock is currently limited to 10 per day, so we can continue to deliver exceptional after-sales service, answer queries and provide open-door support.


    • Learn to proofread like a professional
    • 30 years of experience distilled into a single easy-to-follow package
    • Over 1,000 pages of FREE bonus eBooks and learning materials
    • 30-day money-back 100% satisfaction guarantee
    • Follow my advice and you will earn your money back in just two hours!
    • Download it now and start learning and earning right away.
    • I operate a virtual 'open door' policy after purchase, generally answering any and all email queries and concerns within 48 hours and usually sooner.


    Credit card and PayPal payments accepted.


    “As someone who has been proofreading for 30 years, I found Mike’s course an invaluable introduction and a very useful practical guide to many aspects of the discipline. I can wholeheartedly recommend it.” Jeremy Meehan, Proofreader.


    Still want to find out more? Click here.

    Proofreading Categories

    All
    A World Without Proofreaders
    A World Without Proof Readers
    Barack Obama Spelling Mistake
    Copy Editing
    Copy Editor
    Digital Proofreading
    Do Proofreaders Need Good Grammar
    Editing
    Embarrassing Spelling Mistakes
    English Usage
    Eye Care
    Freelance Proofreading
    Free Proofreading Course
    Free Proofreading Exercises
    Fun
    Grammar
    Hyphenation Rules
    If Proof Readers Ruled The World
    If Proofreaders Ruled The World
    International Proofreading
    Linguistics
    Merchandise
    Off Topic
    Off-Topic
    Online Proofreading
    Proofreader
    Proof Reader
    Proof Reader Merchandise
    Proof-reader Or Proof Reader
    Proofreaders
    Proof Readers
    Proof Readers Equipment
    Proof Readers\' Equipment
    Proofreading
    Proofreading 101
    Proofreading Advice
    Proofreading And Women
    Proofreading Careers
    Proofreading Course
    Proofreading Course Bulletin
    Proofreading Course Discount
    Proofreading Courses
    Proofreading Ebook
    Proofreading Exercises
    Proofreading Fiction
    Proofreading Job Interview
    Proofreading Jobs
    Proofreading Joke
    Proofreading Qualifications
    Proofreading Resumes
    Proofreading Scam
    Proofreading Software
    Proofreading Test
    Proofreading Testimonials
    Proof Reading Tips
    Proofreading Tips
    Proofreading Vacancies
    Punctuation
    Scam Warning
    Second Edition
    Spell Check
    Spell Checkers
    Spelling Errors
    Spelling Fail
    Spelling Mistakes
    Working From Home

    Proofreading Archives

    June 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    March 2019
    February 2019
    March 2018
    July 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    December 2014
    November 2014
    August 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    November 2013
    August 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    January 2012
    November 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    October 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010

  • Home
  • Proofreading Course
  • About the Author
  • Reviews
    • FAQ
  • Proofreading Exercises
  • Proofreading Stuff
    • How to Become a Proofreader
    • Proofreading Marks AKA Proofreading Symbols
    • Proofreading Test
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Store