Popular Buzzwords: Where Did They Come From?

If you want to get along in today's workplace, you have to speak a whole new language. There is a lot of new technical terminology that you must know. Even though (if you are like me) you may be loathe to use catchy acronyms and cutesy phrases, there are some things that you just have to know and use to be understood by others.

But are these phrases really new? You may be interested to know that many of these "new" buzzwords have old roots. In this article, I explain a few of these and identify those new buzzwords that are really new as well as some that are just being used in a slightly unusual context.

So, right off the bat, you must know that cutesy phrases are now called "buzzwords". Acronyms are now called "TLAs" (three-letter-abbreviations). I am not yet advanced enough to know what acronyms of more than three letters are called. FLAs, SLAs and so forth would be logical, but of course, there would be some confusion with four and five, as well as six and seven letter abbreviations. They do exists, and believe me, there are people who think it makes them look quite intelligent to use them! I know because I have been in the military and worked for the government.

Aside from these cutesy phrases - um buzzwords - used to refer to cutesy phrases and buzzwords, there is a whole language of buzzwords you will need to know. Here are a few:

Drink the Kool-Aid - Since I remember the incident upon which this cutesy phrase - buzzword - is based, I have a hard time finding it cutesy or acceptable to use in a euphemistic way. This phrase refers to the Jonestown Massacre that took place in South America in 1978. Cult leader, Jim Jones, convinced 900 followers to kill themselves by drinking a poison laced drink to avoid being held accountable for the assassination of US Congressman, Leo Ryan, who had visited to check on the welfare of the congregation. What this phrase means in today's office setting is to comply mindlessly, to swallow the corporate line of bull without question or complaint. However, unbelievable as it may be, this phrase can be used in a positive sense to mean a person is thoroughly trained or can be depended upon for unconditional support.

To "Go Native" originally meant to visit a culture and become so enamored of it that one took up it's values and lifestyle and stayed forever. I first heard this phrase applied to artist, Paul Gauguin, who was said to have "gone native" in Panama when visiting there. Today this phrase is applied to an employee or consultant who has betrayed his company by becoming concerned about the customers. This is not a good thing. Apparently, in today's world, an employee who is concerned about the customers is detrimental to business. Alternatively, in street vernacular, to "go native" is to go crazy due to being as mistreated as a Native American.

When a project is too big to tackle in one piece, workers are admonished not to "boil the ocean". Original use of this phrase is attributed to humorist Will Rogers during WWII. A reporter supposedly asked him what he thought could be done about the sinking of U-boats, to which he replied, "Boil the ocean." In this context, it would mean that it is impossible to do anything. In today's office setting, this phrase means that a project must be broken down into manageable chunks rather than trying to tackle it all at once. This may especially be used if the customer expects more than can reasonably be delivered for the amount of money being paid.

When a new application has been installed in your system, and I.T. has not yet had a chance to go in and screw it up, it is called a "Greenfield Instance". It may also refer to an upgrade that will not require special training or any type of customization to become workable. Outside the office setting, Greenfield is used to refer to brand-new developments. The building of factories and other such blights on formerly untarnished land is called a "Greenfield development". Conversely, if such a structure is built on used land, it may be referred to as a "Brownfield development". This is particularly true if the property is damaged or polluted.

When you wish to brainstorm an idea, you may want to use a "straw man". This is a first draft of an idea that is just thrown together with the intention of provoking discussion. It is not intended to last, but rather, it is meant to be torn apart and reconstructed. Alternately, a straw man may be a misrepresentation of a set of ideas that is presented simply to cause argument and conflict. The concept of a straw man has pagan origins that date back to purported druidic human sacrifice. Today's "straw man" is made of garden debris at the end of summer. It is called the "King of Winter" and is burned ritually to make way for new growth.

If you are a consultant and you want to get a lot of recognition and be taken seriously, you should write a lot of "white papers". These are indisputable guides and reports that impart your technical knowledge and business acumen. This phrase originates in the UK. It is an informal term referring to parliamentary papers that outline government policy. In this context, there are also "green papers" that are more flexible. Green papers propose a strategy and are meant to be used as working documents for consultation.

Truly new buzzwords:

Rather than thinking out loud or talking to yourself, in today's workplace you work through your gnarly problems by "talking to the dog". Programmers and engineers apparently do this a lot!

When speaking of a situation in which a specific solution would be utilized, you should refer to it as a "use case" (pronounce the S as S, not Z). A really hip engineer will refer to the many "use cases" in which his solutions have been effective. It's very impressive.

When you run data through a new system and an old system simultaneously, you are said to be "running in parallel" You might do this to test new software, to assure a skittish customer, or to make a changeover from one system to another.

Recycled buzzwords:

One word that is overused and misused is "holistic". In it's pure form, it means consideration of the interconnectedness of aspects of a situation. However, this unfortunate word has become a "buzzword" that is just bandied about without any particular meaning. It is a space holder that may be particularly useful when answering creatively as a delaying tactic.

Your viewpoint, is now called your "paradigm". This is especially useful when talking about a dramatic change in focus or a "paradigm shift". This can also be used in creative, smoke-screen answers.

For more about functioning in today's fast paced technological world, you may enjoy:

Seize the Moment! Seize the Day!: Make the Most of Your Time
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1849405/seize_the_moment_seize_the_day_make.html?cat=5

Advice On Ten Ways To Brighten Your Days At Work
http://advice.com/article.jsp?id=0cb24e8d1e934cc1b0e477c1daed8e98

Peace, Sanity & Dignity in a Fast Paced World
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1755204/peace_sanity_dignity_in_a_fast_paced.html?cat=5

Sources & Resources

www.ConsultantingStance.com/about.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenfield_project

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/jonestown1.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Gauguin

http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/samhaincrafts/ss/StrawMan.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_paper

http://www.bobcongdon.net/blog/2004/06/boil-ocean.html