What is a steno pool?

Question

In the musical Grease, the song "Beauty School Dropout", the guardian angle says "If you go for your diploma you'll join a steno pool". The phrase "Steno pool" has had me, my family and friends wondering. Just what is a steno pool.

Answer 1

"Steno pool" is a term that refers to office workers, usually from years ago (I don't hear the term these days). A stenographer is someone who takes dictation and transcribes the notes (also known as secretarial work, or being an "administrative assistant", in today's terminology.) Bigger corporations had a group (pool) of secretaries (stenographers), doing the same type of work In shorthand things like writing letters e.t.c.

Answer 2

Steno is short for stenographer. It was a job in which people basically took dictation or simply typed out what management had written. This was before everyone had a computer.

A 'steno pool' was simply a group of stenographers at a specific workplace. Stenographers were NOT considered to be a particularly skilled group. It was kind of the lowest common denominator of office workers.

Answer 3

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RE:
What is a steno pool?
In the musical Grease, the song "Beauty School Dropout", the guardian angle says "If you go for your diploma you'll join a steno pool". The phrase "Steno pool" has had me, my family and friends wondering. Just what is a steno pool.