Wednesday, April 11, 2012

J is for . . .

Jargon. Nothing excludes better than a bunch of ten dollar words. In medicine there are wheezes, rales, and rhonchi (lung sounds); in law there are Chapters 7, 9, and 11and they arent sections of a book. 

In some fields, jargon is verbal precision and a matter of life and death, while in others it is merely fashionable cliché: at the end of the day; upwards of  (more than); and quite frankly (are they quite lying the rest of the time?) Talking heads say these things all the time.

Then theres business or office jargon. Some of it is cleverat least the first time you hear it:

al deskoto dine at ones desk 
deceptionist—the person up front whose job is to block or detain potential visitors
visual noise—office clutter so thick you cant hear yourself think

If I never hear at the end of the day again, it will be too soon. Please. Save five words. Say finally.” Or ultimately.

What about you? Is there jargon out there that irks you?


(Thanks to The Office Life.coms The Ridiculous Business Jargon Dictionary for these. (Go here for much, much more!)
 

18 comments:

  1. Mommy track- a dead-end career path; really why not call it Daddy track, that irks me to no end!

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  2. As a communicator, I think that the "jargon" that irks me more than anything in this world is the ever irritating, "You know..." interjected from 1-500 times in a conversation. "I was going to the store you know, the prices you know are so you know high you know today. First, of all, I don't know what you mean, what you are communicating, or what you want me to know until you explain it. Unfortunately the hundreds of interjected "I knows" have killed any desire to know what you what me to know.

    So, what I do know, in addition to walking away, is each time an "You know" is interjected into the sentence I say, "No, I don't know."

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  3. "The flip side of the coin." Not jargon so much as a metaphor, but I have heard it used incorrectly so often that I wince now even when it's used properly. People were always bringing up about 5 flip sides to that same poor coin...

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  4. People who talk really fast while I'm in line at Starbucks. I'm like, they haven't even had their coffee yet.

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    1. Maybe they have had their coffee--but they don't know when to quit. :)

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  5. Um, not sure if it's jargon. Maybe more slang? But it drives me crazy when people say-Just Saying. They usually say something mean or rude then say-Just Saying like it makes it all okay.

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  6. Al desko made me smile but I can see that it would become irritating in the extreme if said every day. I too hate 'at the end of the day'. I even devoted an entire blog post to moaning about it last year some time. I can't believe how many people use it. You'd think at least TV presenters would be warned against it but no!

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  7. I'll have to go back & read your post on "at the end of the day." Send me a link if it's not too much trouble.

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  8. I'd never heard the office jargon. Very entertaining. Doesn't it always seem like it's the same person that overuses the jargon?

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    1. Yes, and it's usually the one who specializes in double entendres!

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  9. There's jargon around every corner ready to take you hostage. Not that I'm a doubting Thomas nor that I may have a chip on my shoulder, but Jargon is not my cup of tea.

    Sorry, I had to do it. But, great post.

    Teresa

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    Replies
    1. Ha ha! Yeah, it's everywhere and I admit having used it a time or two myself.

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  10. What about, "See you in the morning?" DUH!!!!

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