Have you noticed the use of somewhat dated phrases in modern copy? While they are interesting, I wonder if the reader’s eyes just skip right over the words without registering them. Here are a few examples:
“Above the fold” when referring to a web page. The graphic design term refers to locating the most important news story or appealing photo on the top half of a folded page, often a newspaper, considered prime real estate. That same concept has been extended to a web page, where it refers to the portion visible without scrolling.
“Lob it (or throw it) over the transom“: A transom was traditionally the horizontal window over a door in Leave-it-to-Beaver-era schools and offices; it could open and close, and I guess that’s where things were lobbed. These days, you’re more likely to see a fixed fanlight on a fancy house. Throwing an idea over the transom seems to mean submitting something for publication, like an unsolicited manuscript, or delivering anonymous tips.
“Representatives who are too far removed from the coal face to know the details…”: I’ve never worked in a coal mine, but I can imagine that the real work gets done right at the exposed surface of coal, and few executives are nearby. It’s probably right around the corner from the place where the rubber meets the road.
Not quite a dated term but certainly an interesting one: “eating our own dog food.” I had to look it up to find out it meant a company that uses the products it makes. Apparently the reference comes from a TV commercial in which actor Lorne Greene said his own dogs ate the food he was promoting.
I wonder what the lasting words and phrases from the Twitter era will be?