What have we stopped noticing?
The things we say, do, and accept without thinking twice.
Look closer where it comes from, what it assumes, and the case for keeping it
What you mean by it
The dots that mark items in a list.
What it's actually picturing
“Bullet” comes from the French boulette, “small ball”, which is also where the projectile gets its name. Printers were calling the dot a bullet by 1950, and “bullet point” is recorded from 1983.
What it takes for granted
Very little. This might be the most harmless phrase on the wall.
Worth knowing
If this one feels like a stretch, vote that way. Plenty of people do.
The case for keeping it
Nobody pictures ammunition when formatting a list. If this counts, everything counts.
Say it plainly
Key pointsList items
Or have some fun
Dot points (already common in Australia)
Where this comes from
- bullet · Online Etymology Dictionary
- dot point · Wiktionary
- Bullet (typography) · Wikipedia