January 15th, 2010
re copywriters guilty of hypocrisy when it comes to jargon?
Most of us say that we scratch out jargon wherever we find it, but – like any trade or profession – we have our own words that are mainly for use amongst ourselves.
We’ve been very discreet about it, though. If you search for copywriting jargon on the web, you won’t find much. That’s because we’ve managed to get most of it ascribed to the industries we work in – advertising, law, radio and so on.
But it’s ours alright. Let’s take my favourite item of copywriters’ jargon: the Seymour.
A Seymour refers to a copywriter who earns £100,000 per year or more. It was coined in the 1970s when Saatchi and Saatchi’s Geoff Seymour, writer of the famous Hovis ad (“Hovis: as good for you today as it’s always been”), became the first copywriter to nab a six figure salary.
Much copywriting slang, though, remains obscure. And I think it’s time we put it down on the record. After all, if we’re going to have a jargon, it’s important to make sure it’s better than everyone else’s.
So, if you’re a copywriter, or you have a juicy slice of copywriting slang that you’d like to share, please drop your words into the comments box below.
Do copywriters have their own jargon?
4:20 pm. Filed under: Blog, copywriting.
Author: Ben Locker.
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Tags: copywriting, jargon, slang
14 Responses to “Do copywriters have their own jargon?”
I’ve spent that long trying to learn copy editing marks that I don’t have time for jargon.
I can only think of a few “jargon-like” names I’ve heard for copywriting clients. Not that those names apply to any of MY clients, who may or may not be reading these comments, bless their hearts.
Here are a few I’ve (rather cynically) collated over recent years
A two-minute job = a two-hour job
A quick edit = at least a 500-word rewrite
A little titivate = a complete rewrite of a client’s indecipherable ramblings handwritten on loo roll
Weasel = the person who hands you any of the above jobs
And one last one, for real this time, honest:
Tickle = to add in a little more copy to a word doc but more usually straight into the artwork on a mac. Spoken usually as you’re leaning over the designer’s shoulder, “I’ll just tickle a little more in right there.”
When a client requests a little ‘finessing’ I know they mean a complete rewrite, that involves taking out all meaningful copy and replacing it with repetitive, advertising bumpf!
@Larner and @Vicki Jeffels – you’ve reminded me of a journalistic one, that’s closely related.
‘Put it in house style’ – a euphemism that means ‘Please take my ill-researched notes, fact-check them, supplement them with original information, rewrite them from scratch and then publish the final article with my name at the top.’
The correct euphemism that should follow such a request is too graphic to post.
Client: ‘Not quite on message’ = GO BACK AND DO IT AGAIN
Client: ‘I’ve had some ideas about the copy’ = Long night ahead
And the prize for most overused line: ‘And all for just *insert insanely expensive price here’
Then of course there’s ‘we need our company/product name in the first three lines at least 4x for SEO!’
Copybombs: those last minute alts they ‘didn’t want to bother you with’. C-bombs destroy your concept, f*ck up your grammar and turn a great piece of writing into a steaming pile of sh*t.
And the first thing you know about it is when you open that long-awaited print sample…
I agree with this 100%:
Client: ‘Not quite on message’ = GO BACK AND DO IT AGAIN
Client: ‘I’ve had some ideas about the copy’ = Long night ahead
My two cents’ worth:
‘Tweak the copy’ = Re-write it from scratch and charge nothing
‘Have a look’ = Give me free tips and advice on improving it
‘Urgent’ = I need it back within 2 hours, even tho’ it’s 350 pages
Spin it and sex it up. Borrowed from politics?
I’ll just sub it down a bit. I’ll knock out all the shit the client has put in and cut the length 50%.
I’ll make it benefit-led. Surely you don’t expect the public to buy this?
Typos and grammaticals – prime trade jargon.
Word count – a random number that’ll never fit on the page, not even in seven-point.
Kick it about a bit. Take out all the unnecessary words.
Oh, that ‘word count’ definition is so true.
At the laying out stage it leads to the phrase ‘Edit it to fit’ – normally meaning ‘When we said 800 words, we actually meant there was space for 500′.
Oh, that ‘word count’ definition is so true.
At the laying out stage it leads to the phrase ‘Edit it to fit’ – normally meaning ‘When we said 800 words, we actually meant there was space for 500′.
Yes, lose the 300 words but don’t lose any of the squillion dot points of user-benefits…
How about a standfirst. Do we all know what that means?
And my least favourite (thanks John SImmons), tone-of-voice.
Standfirst, yes – but I’ve worked in magazines. ‘Tone’ does the trick for me, as does ‘voice’. ‘Tone of voice’ is a tad wordy and clichéd, I agree.