blue-pencil
/'blu:'pensl/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To edit, censor, or cut (written material): The primary meaning of "blue-pencil" is to make corrections, deletions, or alterations to a text, often with the authority to remove or suppress content. It implies the use of an editor's or censor's pencil, traditionally imagined as blue, to mark changes.
Usage
- The verb "blue-pencil" is transitive and is used with a direct object (the thing being edited).
- It often carries a connotation of censorship, cutting content for reasons of length, propriety, or policy, rather than just stylistic improvement.
- It is used in both professional editing and general contexts where content is being removed.
Examples
- Verb:
- The magazine editor had to blue-pencil several paragraphs from the controversial article.
- The film's script was heavily blue-penciled by the studio to avoid an adult rating.
- Before publication, all employee reports are blue-penciled by the communications department.
Advanced Usage
- The blue-pencil test: A legal doctrine in contract law where a court can remove ("blue-pencil") an unenforceable clause (like an overly broad non-compete agreement) while leaving the rest of the contract intact, provided the remaining terms are clear and enforceable.
Variants and Related Words
- Blue-penciler (noun): A person who edits or censors text.
- He worked as a blue-penciler for a major newspaper.
Synonyms
- Edit: To prepare for publication by correcting, condensing, or modifying.
- Censor: To examine and suppress unacceptable parts of (a book, film, etc.).
- Cut: To remove a section from a text or film.
- Delete: To remove or erase (written text).
- Expurgate: To remove matter thought to be objectionable or unsuitable from a text.
Related Phrases
- To wield the blue pencil: To act in the capacity of an editor or censor.
- As the new head of content, she now wields the blue pencil over all blog posts.
Verb
- cut or eliminate
- she edited the juiciest scenes