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I've found that using 'term of art' more effectively communicates 'this word has a domain-specific meaning that might differ from what you would naively think,

I've found that using 'term of art' more effectively communicates 'this word has a domain-specific meaning that might differ from what you would naively think, pay attention' than simply saying 'x is an x term' or the like, which people tend to gloss over. [edit] I am pleased to see that HN readers as a group love to define things, and also that I need to learn to refresh tabs I've had open for a while before responding

forbiddenvoid 6y ago
Then why not just say 'domain-specific meaning?' Term of art doesn't really have a clear meaning in general (native English speaker, and this is the first time I've heard this), and it's unclear/ambiguous as to what it actually indicates.
- naniwaduni 6y ago
  Because "term of art" is the term of art... "Domain-specific" is nonsense gibberish to people outside ~computing, more or less.
- aesh2Xa1 6y ago
  "Jargon" is a good word for this case.
  - shemtay 6y ago
    "Jargon" sounds pejorative to me, and implies that the phrasing is difficult for outsiders to understand. "Term of art" only implies that it is the specific phrasing used by practitioners to describe the matter at hand.
  - anoncake 6y ago
    Does that imply that the meaning is well-defined like "term of art" does?
    - aesh2Xa1 6y ago
      Yes, it requires that the idea is defined in a concise way that is professionally/contextually restricted. Use "term of art" if you'd like. I think "jargon" is a commonplace alternative and I like it.
- eyelidlessness 6y ago
  It’s pretty much exactly as intuitive as “state of the art”—a term of art I didn’t understand as anything beyond a superlative until I had heard it for 20 years and decided to give it a think. Which is to say, not very intuitive at all, until you just pick it apart and think about how it might relate in context, and then it’s just reflexive.
  - JJMcJ 6y ago
    First time I read "term of art" I knew exactly what was meant. It doesn't seem that obscure. However, I was already familiar with "start of the art" so it wasn't that great a leap.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]

forbiddenvoid 6y ago

Then why not just say 'domain-specific meaning?' Term of art doesn't really have a clear meaning in general (native English speaker, and this is the first time I've heard this), and it's unclear/ambiguous as to what it actually indicates.

naniwaduni 6y ago
Because "term of art" is the term of art... "Domain-specific" is nonsense gibberish to people outside ~computing, more or less.
aesh2Xa1 6y ago
"Jargon" is a good word for this case.
- shemtay 6y ago
  "Jargon" sounds pejorative to me, and implies that the phrasing is difficult for outsiders to understand. "Term of art" only implies that it is the specific phrasing used by practitioners to describe the matter at hand.
- anoncake 6y ago
  Does that imply that the meaning is well-defined like "term of art" does?
  - aesh2Xa1 6y ago
    Yes, it requires that the idea is defined in a concise way that is professionally/contextually restricted. Use "term of art" if you'd like. I think "jargon" is a commonplace alternative and I like it.
eyelidlessness 6y ago
It’s pretty much exactly as intuitive as “state of the art”—a term of art I didn’t understand as anything beyond a superlative until I had heard it for 20 years and decided to give it a think. Which is to say, not very intuitive at all, until you just pick it apart and think about how it might relate in context, and then it’s just reflexive.
- JJMcJ 6y ago
  First time I read "term of art" I knew exactly what was meant. It doesn't seem that obscure. However, I was already familiar with "start of the art" so it wasn't that great a leap.
deleted 6y ago
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