Common Phrases and Words in English That Have Very Specific Meanings Within Certain Professions

In a bilateral episode of their incredibly informative whiteboard series for Mental Floss, linguist Arika Okrent and illustrator Sean O’Neill verbally and visually explain how certain commonplace words and phrases in the English language that take on more specific definitions within certain professions.

“Hearsay,” “passive,” “significant,” “toxin,” “work,” “evolution,” these are words that we’re familiar with through their common meanings, but to experts, they have slightly different, more specific meanings.