chicken scratch notes

Meanings

1. 1nounpluralinformal

   Notes written very quickly and carelessly, so they are hard to read.

   Grammar: Use with a plural verb: the chicken scratch notes were impossible to read. It is not used as a singular countable noun.

   Patterns

   • chicken scratch notes
   • take chicken scratch notes
   • write chicken scratch notes

   I took chicken scratch notes during the lecture and could barely read them later.

   Her chicken scratch notes were full of arrows and half-finished words.

   He handed in chicken scratch notes instead of a clean summary.

2. 2nounpluralinformaldisapproving

   A messy, hurried piece of writing that looks like a child's or animal's marks.

   Grammar: Often used with a singular meaning in informal speech: this is chicken scratch notes, not a real report.

   Patterns

   • look like chicken scratch notes
   • call something chicken scratch notes

   The teacher said my essay looked like chicken scratch notes.

   His shopping list was just chicken scratch notes on a napkin.

   Don't send chicken scratch notes to a client; type it properly.

Common combinations

take chicken scratch notes

I had to take chicken scratch notes because the speaker talked too fast.

chicken scratch notes on a napkin

He left chicken scratch notes on a napkin by the phone.

read chicken scratch notes

She tried to read her chicken scratch notes from the meeting.

turn chicken scratch notes into something clear

Rewrite your chicken scratch notes into something clear before the exam.

Synonyms and how they differ

scribbles

Scribbles are careless marks or writing; chicken scratch notes specifically suggests quick, messy notes.

scrawl

A scrawl is messy handwriting; chicken scratch notes focuses on the notes themselves.

rough notes

Rough notes may be untidy but are not necessarily hard to read; chicken scratch notes suggests very poor handwriting.

Opposites

Word family

chicken scratch noun

Informal term for very messy handwriting.

note noun

A short written record.

note-taking noun

The activity of writing down information.

Commonly confused: chicken scratch notes or chicken scratch?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “chicken scratch notes”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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