skip
To skip something is to pass over it or leave it out. People say skip when they want to jump ahead, ignore a song, or not do a step.
What a model may hear
- skip connection deep learning, neural networks
- add the input of a layer to its output, letting gradients flow through; may assume the user wants residual network behavior
- skip list computer science, data structures
- use a probabilistic linked list with fast search; may assume the user wants to implement or query this structure
- skip flag or option command-line tools, build systems
- bypass a test, step, or dependency; may assume the user wants to configure a --skip parameter
- skip instruction low-level programming, assembly
- jump past code conditionally; may assume the user means a branch or jump operation
- skip-gram natural language processing, word embeddings
- predict surrounding words from a center word; may assume the user wants word2vec-style training
Where people and models part ways
“skip this part”
Meant: ignore the current section of text
May be taken as: treat it as a skip-gram window or skip connection in a model architecture
Say instead: “ignore this section and do not process it”
“skip the first line”
Meant: do not read or output the first line
May be taken as: interpret as a linked-list skip operation or a command-line skip flag
Say instead: “omit the first line from your response”
“just skip it”
Meant: drop the topic entirely
May be taken as: assume a technical omission like skipping a layer in forward propagation
Say instead: “drop this topic and do not mention it again”
“skip to the end”
Meant: jump to the final part
May be taken as: interpret as a pointer traversal in a skip list or a program jump
Say instead: “begin your answer with the conclusion”
Tips
- say 'omit' or 'leave out' instead of 'skip' when you mean simple exclusion
- specify what should happen after skipping, not just what to skip
- avoid 'skip' near neural network or code contexts unless you mean the technical sense
- use 'jump ahead to' for narrative or sequential skipping
- check if the model produced a residual connection or data structure when you meant plain omission
Often confused with
- jump
- emphasizes destination, not omission
- omit
- pure exclusion without technical baggage
- bypass
- suggests going around a system or check
- ignore
- mental dismissal, not structural skipping
- pass
- can mean skip or proceed, often ambiguous
- next
- moves forward but does not imply leaving out