Eli the BeardedOct 30, 2023

Fun connections.

"Stereotype" is a printer's term. Moveable type is expensive. You don't want to keep it tied up longer than needed, so you make a mould from the set type and cast a plate from that.

The "stereotype" is the mould.

A "cliché" is what the French called plate made from that mould, it's onomatopoeia from the sound of removing the plate from the mould.

"Boilerplate" is widely repeated text from the round stereotype castings of newspaper columns ready to throw on a drum press.

Show threadroyterdwOct 30, 2023
@elithebearded The phrases "Get the lead out" and "mind your p's and q's" also come from printing.
Show threadEli the BeardedOct 30, 2023
@royterdw Easy to understand. But those don't all interrelate like stereotype / cliché / boilerplate.
Show threadBodlingOct 30, 2023
@elithebearded @royterdw There's "monotype," too, which (I had to look this up) was invented way after stereotype -- in distinction from sound recordings where monophonic came before stereophonic
Show threadEli the Bearded

@Bodling @royterdw Monotype is a company producing typefaces, isn't it? Monoprint is a technique that results in only a single print being made. The monoprints I am aware of are made by ink being placed on on a flat surface, paper is put on top, and then pressure is applied. The in transfers to the paper and done. Since it is a flat surface, the design is just a one-off from how the artist placed the ink.

The Wikipedia page I linked to has etymology of "stereotype" from Greek.

Oct 30, 2023 at 9:16pmWeb
Show threadBodlingOct 30, 2023

@elithebearded @royterdw That's what we could call 'the new Monotype.' I was referring to the typesetting method similar to Linotype. Invented in mid 1800s.

Cf. Wikipedia page "Monotype system" that describes it as "a system for printing by hot-metal typesetting from a keyboard."

Show threadEli the BeardedOct 30, 2023

@Bodling @royterdw Reading that I recall seeing it documented in a video once, the paper tape and system for adjusting spaces stand out to me.

I suspect that the "mono" of "monotype" refers to needing just one mould (matrix) for each character, rather than a set of type. Linotype needs as many as can fit into a line, I believe.

There's no real similarity to mono/stereo audio.