jotting
Brief written reminder
A jotting is a brief, hastily written note—something scribbled down to capture a thought, reminder, or piece of information before it slips away.
The word emphasizes informality and quickness; jottings aren't polished prose but rough captures meant for later reference.
I found some jottings in the margins of her notebook.
The term often appears in the plural to describe a collection of such notes.
Brief internal message
- memorandumFormal internal correspondence
- noteShort written record
- reminderMemory aid
- post-itAdhesive paper memo
sticky-note · bullet-point · to-do · checklist · summary · snippet · fragment · shorthand
Illegible hasty writing
- handwritingManual letter formation
- penmanshipSkill of forming letters
- notationSystem of written symbols
- inscriptionText permanently marked
transcription · note-taking · longhand · shorthand · cursive · script · lettering · scrawl
Relaxed and informal
- roughUneven in surface
- unpolishedLacking finish or refinement
- unstructuredLacking imposed order
- preliminaryBefore the main part
draft · sketch · doodle · scrawl · rambling · loose · freeform · stream-of-consciousness
Citation at page bottom
- annotationAdded explanatory comment
- marginaliaNotes in page edges
- commentBrief stated opinion
- remarkSpoken comment or note
observation · citation · asterisk · gloss · sidenote · notation · cross-reference · endnote
Excessively quick, ill-considered
- cursoryHasty and incomplete
- hurriedDone too quickly
- rushedDone with excessive speed
- offhandCasually unrehearsed
impromptu · spontaneous · fleeting · momentary · on-the-fly · spur-of-the-moment · rapid · brief
memo
Brief internal message
- memorandumFormal internal correspondence
- noteShort written record
- reminderMemory aid
post-it · sticky-note · bullet-point · to-do · checklist · summary · snippet · fragment · shorthand · abbreviation
scribbling
Illegible hasty writing
- handwritingManual letter formation
- penmanshipSkill of forming letters
- notationSystem of written symbols
inscription · transcription · note-taking · longhand · shorthand · cursive · script · lettering · scrawl · marginalia
casual
Relaxed and informal
- roughUneven in surface
- unpolishedLacking finish or refinement
- unstructuredLacking imposed order
preliminary · draft · sketch · doodle · scrawl · rambling · loose · freeform · stream-of-consciousness · brainstorm
footnote
Citation at page bottom
- annotationAdded explanatory comment
- marginaliaNotes in page edges
- commentBrief stated opinion
remark · observation · citation · asterisk · gloss · sidenote · notation · cross-reference · endnote
hasty
Excessively quick, ill-considered
offhand · impromptu · spontaneous · fleeting · momentary · on-the-fly · spur-of-the-moment · rapid · brief · passing
- memory aidsmnemonics, mnemonic, reminders, reminder, cue cards
- note-takingnotes, notation, write down, note down, shorthand
- Writing Activitiesscribbling, note-taking, typing, keying, drafting
- jottingsnotes, scribbles, scribbling, memos, sticky notes
- notesmemo, reminder, sticky note, to-do list, memo pad
- written notesnote, memo, scribble, reminder, sticky note
jottingtreatise
Formal scholarly composition
dissertation · tome · monograph · magnum opus · encyclopedia entry
- jotting downWriting briefly, informally