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What it means to everyone else: Something super awesome. Ex: “Dude, that party was epic!”
What it means to English Majors: a long poem dealing with events crucial to the survival of a people or nation
2. Stanza
What it means to everyone else: Almost a name from Game of Thrones. As in, “You know that girl Stanza from Game of Thrones?” “You mean, Sansa?” “Whatever. She’s hot.”
What it means to English Majors: a multi-line unit of poetic composition that may be a complete syntactic/logical unit
3. Orality
What it means to everyone else: Uh. What do you think?
What it means to English Majors: the literary quality of texts written to be read or sung aloud
4. Parody
What it means to everyone else: Oh you know, movies like Frankenstein, The Princess Bride, The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy…
What it means to English Majors: Oh you know, books like Frankenstein, The Princess Bride, The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy…
5. Beast Fable
What it means to everyone else: Wait—the new movie in the Harry Potter universe? WAIT – is that out?
What it means to English Majors: a short satiric tale whose characters include talking animals whose adventures are intended to illustrate human frailties
6. Debate
What it means to everyone else: OH MY GOD—is this election over yet?
What it means to English Majors: a late classical and medieval genre which often involves representative social figures
7. Fabliau
What it means to everyone else: ???
What it means to English Majors: a short medieval French poetic narrative about the bawdy and deceptive behaviors of various people
8. Conflict
What it means to everyone else: How you feel when three of your favorite movies are on Netflix at the same time
What it means to English Majors: Friction, tensions or opposition that keeps the characters from reaching their goals
9. Query
What it means to everyone else: A question
What it means to English Majors: A letter that you will likely send hundreds, if not thousands of times to editors, agents, or publishers
10. Fantasy
What it means to everyone else: Something, maybe a little seedy, that you dream about. For more info, ask Luda.
What it means to English Majors: Stories that include mythical creatures and often magic.
11. Hook
What it means to everyone else: That thing you use to catch fish
What it means to English Majors: The first line, paragraph or page that draws the reader into the story
12. 1984
What it means to everyone else: A year… Oh wait, is that Taylor Swift’s new album?
What it means to English Majors: George Orwell’s classic novel that you have undoubtedly read more times than you can count. (Because math—amiright, English majors?)
13. Math
What it means to everyone else: Something that you have studied at length and likely use often in your day to day life.
What it means to English Majors: Something that you probably studied for a semester—and likely will never use again.
14. Science
What it means to everyone else: Something that you have studied at length and likely use often in day to day life.
What it means to English Majors: Wait, do you mean like Science Fiction?
15. MS
What it means to everyone else: Ms.—abbreviation for Miss
What it means to English Majors: MS—manuscript. Again, something that you will likely send hundreds, if not thousands of times, to editors, publishers, and agents
16. Point of view
What it means to everyone else: How someone sees or thinks about something
What it means to English Majors: The viewpoint in which the story is told (first, second or third person)
17. Royalty
What it means to everyone else: A group of royal people.
What it means to English Majors: A percentage of the retail price of a book paid to the author on each book that is sold
18. Animal Farm
What it means to everyone else: A happy, idyllic home for farm animals, probably pictured among rolling fields of corn and cotton candy clouds
What it means to English Majors: A less happy, idyllic novella all about the events leading up to the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union
19. Slush pile
What it means to everyone else: That gray, goo that builds up on the street after it snows
What it means to English Majors: Where unsolicited submissions go to die.
20. Atmosphere
What it means to everyone else: The gaseous mass or envelope surrounding a celestial body. I.E.—that stuff you’re breathing right now.
What it means to English Majors: term used to describe the mood of a piece of writing
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
