Definition
Plain language
The meaningless placeholder text designers drop into a layout before the real words are ready.
As stated in the literature
Standard scrambled-Latin filler text used in typesetting and web mockups to occupy content regions without conveying meaning, keeping a template's structure neutral until real content is added.
Why it matters: It lets people evaluate a design's look and structure without getting distracted by reading and reacting to actual content.
For example, a designer building a new webpage fills the empty article space with 'Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet' so the client can judge the layout before any real text exists.
Heard on the show
“When a web developer builds a skeleton, they fill it with meaningless placeholder text — the classic "Lorem ipsum.”Episode 210 — Same Website Request, Different Code — The Bias You Can't See