Buzzwords: Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down

blobru said:
but when words get too much buzz they quickly lose touch with whatever they meant and cease to mean anything, except maybe another way to say "abracadabra" and ten "hail Mary"'s.
Click to expand...

The really depressing thing is that if you tried, you'd probably be able to get powerpointed ones to adopt "abracadabra" and "hail Mary"'s as business terms.

"Now, this business case would not have been feasible if not for the abracadabra factor, so we all need to stay focused on selling pro-actively and covering our hail Mary's."
 
Last edited:
Leif Roar said:
The really depressing thing is that if you tried, you'd probably be able to get powerpointed ones to adopt "abracadabra" and "hail Mary"'s as business terms.

"Now, this business case would not have been feasible if not for the abracadabra factor, so we all need to stay focused on selling pro-actively and covering our hail Mary's."
Click to expand...
Actually, "hail Mary" is already used; to do a hail mary, or throw a hail mary, means simply to try something without knowing what the results will be, and just hope for the best. Tends to be used only by Americans, as it is derived from football (to throw a hail mary pass). I've heard this used in business meetings on several different occasions, although it wouldn't be really common.
 
Wolfman said:
Actually, "hail Mary" is already used; to do a hail mary, or throw a hail mary, means simply to try something without knowing what the results will be, and just hope for the best. Tends to be used only by Americans, as it is derived from football (to throw a hail mary pass). I've heard this used in business meetings on several different occasions, although it wouldn't be really common.
Click to expand...


No joke, I sat in a meeting once where the term "two point conversion" was used. A two point conversion is another American rules football term for a somewhat risky play that can earn an extra point if carried out successfully. No points at all are awarded for a failure. It was used in reference to an "all or nothing" gambit the company was about to undertake. The comment made sense in context of the meeting, but I was cringing with anticipation assuming it would be misused by the company in the future.
 
Oh, I have to use that!

Afternoon session, Sales Seminar...

"That concludes the presentation for today, aside from one final point.

We've explored how a pro-active sales rep can become successful and ensure a fat bonus cheque every quarter, but there is a way to even lift yourselves beyond the "successful" tag.

In every organisation, there comes a time when it benefits from the winds of change, sweeping through it, blowing away the dead wood, encouraging strong new shoots.

I ask, in closing, that you go back to your employers and be the change."

(please, with the 3-day suspension, don't forget to let me back after three days this time! Surely can't be worth more than 3 days, can it?)

Adios....
 
First off, I should declare that I work at an ad agency. Don't pile on me just yet. I just make the coffee, answer phones, keep computers running, and make sure the printers have paper. I'm not one of the evil geniuses behind these grand schemes, but I do hear a few terms in passing that strike me as linguistically questionable.

Impactful - This bastardized word was apparently cooked up by one of our clients.

Flavorfullness - Yet another client who came up with this. I guess the person who came up with this would call zooming in on a picture "embiggenation".

X-Treme - This term will be eliminated from the English lexicon if it's the last thing I ever do. Thankfully no one at my agency has used it in a campaign. My compadre Maddox sums up my feelings nicely. (NSFW language) http://tinyurl.com/ajy8e
 
Anybody using the word 'action' as a verb. It's not just that the perfectly good english verb 'do' is available. It's also that it tends to provide weaselling room. 'I'll do that' is pretty unambiguous. 'I'll action that' means that you'll do it, or set in motion something that causes it to be done, or gets someone else to cause it to be done etc. etc. until the fact that it doesn't actually, you know, happen ceases to be your fault...

As an ex-biologist now working in the corporate(ish) world, I was horrified to come across the term 'Data DNA' recently. Apparently this is just a buzzword for 'metadata', generated from a vague and wildly incorrect notion of what DNA is or does. Made me come over all cromulent...
 
Atheist said:
(please, with the 3-day suspension, don't forget to let me back after three days this time! Surely can't be worth more than 3 days, can it?)
Click to expand...
We have decided that it is okay to use be the change in this thread only. You were this close, though.

Cello said:
Flavorfullness - Yet another client who came up with this. I guess the person who came up with this would call zooming in on a picture "embiggenation".
Click to expand...
Of course they would:

http://www.acepilots.com/mt/2007/02/25/the-embiggenation-of-the-oscars/

~~ Paul
 
Damn. I always hate it when I think I have an original idea and someone's already beaten me to it.
 
Wolfman said:
Actually, "hail Mary" is already used; to do a hail mary, or throw a hail mary, means simply to try something without knowing what the results will be, and just hope for the best. Tends to be used only by Americans, as it is derived from football (to throw a hail mary pass). I've heard this used in business meetings on several different occasions, although it wouldn't be really common.
Click to expand...

This is a hail Mary pass:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3ykWbu2Gl0

Doug Flutie taught us all that hail Maries work!
 
Here is the "buzzword" that really
-makes my blood boil
-chaps my a**
-turns my crank
-makes me want to slap my mom

CLOSURE
 
Nearly all the words mentioned are on a 5x5 grid I keep near my desk, called "BS Bingo". I may have even copied it from somewhere here on the Forum. The premise being, in any meeting cross off the words as they are said. Getting 5 in a row "empowers" you to stand up and shout "BS!" (or a variant thereof).

However, I haven't seen leverage yet. This one grates on me when used as a verb, especially after having seen Battlefield Earth again (at least it was used as a noun there!)
 
alfaniner said:
Nearly all the words mentioned are on a 5x5 grid I keep near my desk, called "BS Bingo". I may have even copied it from somewhere here on the Forum. The premise being, in any meeting cross off the words as they are said. Getting 5 in a row "empowers" you to stand up and shout "BS!" (or a variant thereof).
Click to expand...

Great plan!

alfaniner said:
However, I haven't seen leverage yet. This one grates on me when used as a verb, especially after having seen Battlefield Earth again (at least it was used as a noun there!)
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's bad. The whole leverage thing is to be avoided, unless you're this guy.
 
There is a "Mission Statement Generator" at dilbert.com that covers all these different buzzwords quite effectively. Completely randomized results that inevitably sound like something that a brain-dead manager would say. A few examples:

[FONT=helvetica, arial]We have committed to conveniently build effective infrastructures in order to efficiently negotiate resource-leveling intellectual capital while maintaining the highest standards

[/FONT]
clear_dot.gif

[FONT=helvetica, arial][/FONT] [FONT=helvetica, arial]It's our responsibility to quickly initiate cutting edge technology as well as to synergistically network scalable content because that is what the customer expects

[/FONT]
clear_dot.gif

[FONT=helvetica, arial][/FONT] [FONT=helvetica, arial]It's our responsibility to quickly initiate cutting edge technology as well as to synergistically network scalable content because that is what the customer expects

[/FONT][FONT=helvetica, arial]The customer can count on us to interactively build scalable technology to allow us to collaboratively create value-added infrastructures[/FONT]
 
alfaniner said:
Nearly all the words mentioned are on a 5x5 grid I keep near my desk, called "BS Bingo". I may have even copied it from somewhere here on the Forum. The premise being, in any meeting cross off the words as they are said. Getting 5 in a row "empowers" you to stand up and shout "BS!" (or a variant thereof).

However, I haven't seen leverage yet. This one grates on me when used as a verb, especially after having seen Battlefield Earth again (at least it was used as a noun there!)
Click to expand...

IBM is running an ad campaign based on the premise that their services help you to "do" stuff instead of just talking about it; they're making fun of business buzzwords ("ideation"). One of the commercials features Buzzword Bingo, along the lines you describe.

If hatred of buzzwords is so mainstream that even IBM is jumping on board, there may be hope. Of course, this probably just means there will be a new set of buzzwords for eliminating buzzwords.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

ISF - Join now!

Every member here is approved by hand. No bots, no spam, just people who care about evidence and honest debate.

Membership is free!

Create your free account

Back
Top Bottom