plewd

Coined by Charles Rice.

plewd (plural plewds)

1. A stylized sweat drop drawn on the air around a character's head, as if it were coming out of the character, as used in cartoons, especially comic strips.
   • 1946 March 24, Charles D. Rice, “Squeans, Plewds & Briffits or, How to be a Cartoonist”, in Los Angeles Times‎, volume 65, United Newspapers Magazine Corporation, page 22:

     You may be able to draw like Michelangelo, but you'll never make a cartoonist until you're up on such matters as Squeans, Plewds, and Briffits. […] Plewds are the little drops of perspiration that shoot off a character's brow to indicate physical exertion, embarrassment, fear or practically anything else.

   • 2003 September 11, <jgmcle...@aol.com>, “where did &*#$ come from?”, in rec.arts.comics.strips (Usenet):

     Now add just *one* little plewd coming off the head and, poof, that's one nervous little guy

   • 2007, Anita Y. Wonder, Bloodstain pattern evidence: objective approaches and case applications, page 326:

     The first thing usually taught in bloodstain pattern workshops is that the plewd is not an accurate depiction of blood behavior

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