terms in your profession that you hate/refuse to use

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1. 'GUI' (pronounced 'gooey')

two of my colleagues have said it about ten times in the last two minutes.

― blueski, Friday, 23 February 2007 10:23 (eighteen years ago)

"wordy"

― PJ Miller, Friday, 23 February 2007 10:29 (eighteen years ago)

"functionality"
"utilise"

― mookieproof, Friday, 23 February 2007 10:31 (eighteen years ago)

to embed best practice

― Nasty, Brutish & Short, Friday, 23 February 2007 10:40 (eighteen years ago)

"templatey"
"shot-changey"

― PJ Miller, Friday, 23 February 2007 10:41 (eighteen years ago)

"guys"

― PJ Miller, Friday, 23 February 2007 10:43 (eighteen years ago)

"What are the tax implications of that?"

"What will compliance have to say?"

― Masonic Boom, Friday, 23 February 2007 10:46 (eighteen years ago)

concepting
conceptualise
futureproofing
re-orientating
strategising

― Dr.C, Friday, 23 February 2007 10:48 (eighteen years ago)

Shingle

― Mark C, Friday, 23 February 2007 11:21 (eighteen years ago)

"pure satellite play"

WTF does that mean.

Also all the obvious ones: "going forward", "in the market", "lets table that" - and loathed most of all, said in meetings "lets take that offline". WE'RE NOT ON A FUCKING VIDEO LINK.

― Trayce, Friday, 23 February 2007 11:22 (eighteen years ago)

oh my new boss said 'take this offline' earlier this week but i didn't really anything of it.

― blueski, Friday, 23 February 2007 11:24 (eighteen years ago)

take this offline means 'I don't want to talk about this now....or ever'.

― Dr.C, Friday, 23 February 2007 11:26 (eighteen years ago)

"yes"

― Alan, Friday, 23 February 2007 11:32 (eighteen years ago)

"we want to have transparency on this"
because it's robbed from the war in iraq vagueness of terms.

― aimurchie, Friday, 23 February 2007 11:33 (eighteen years ago)

"the digital marketing people know what they are talking about"

― Alan, Friday, 23 February 2007 11:36 (eighteen years ago)

"yes a blog would be a GREAT idea"

― Alan, Friday, 23 February 2007 11:39 (eighteen years ago)

interoperability
commonality

― onimo, Friday, 23 February 2007 11:42 (eighteen years ago)

I'm happy to say that the phrase 'best practice' is something our company has finally put to bed. Although it's still written on my wrist rest.

― Ste, Friday, 23 February 2007 11:44 (eighteen years ago)

HA! it didn't log me out when I closed the window down. hurrah!

― Ste, Friday, 23 February 2007 11:45 (eighteen years ago)

SARBANES-OXLEY AUDIT

― Alan, Friday, 23 February 2007 11:45 (eighteen years ago)

My favourite is MUTATIS MUTANDIS which is a snoozesome term but it makes me think of MONSTERS grr.

― Sarah, Friday, 23 February 2007 11:45 (eighteen years ago)

at least they're not using pig latin

― blueski, Friday, 23 February 2007 11:47 (eighteen years ago)

I went through Hitchen on the train yesterday and thought of DOG LATIN.

― Sarah, Friday, 23 February 2007 11:49 (eighteen years ago)

HitchIN

as in 'a ride out of this stink town'

― blueski, Friday, 23 February 2007 11:51 (eighteen years ago)

Hermeneutic, proairetic, narratology, (re)presentation, interdisciplinarity, cultural materialism, Derridean

― G00blar, Friday, 23 February 2007 11:54 (eighteen years ago)

"MUTATIS MUTANDIS" this makes me think of terms used at college. "ceteris paribus" and so on. actually i sort of liked all those tags in a snobby sort of way - they were sort of handy

― Alan, Friday, 23 February 2007 11:54 (eighteen years ago)

Some gurlies got on at Hitchen who were drinking cans of Fosters on their way to Fabric. One girl was wearing a black tunic smock dress over a short denim skirt which puzzled me for the entire rest of the journey to Kings Cross. Why! One or the other! And the obligatory fake uggz.

― Sarah, Friday, 23 February 2007 11:55 (eighteen years ago)

A manager came up to me last night and said she wanted to have some idea of the "deliverables" on a report, and I had to ask he what she meant. Apparently it means when a report is gonna be ready . . .. why didn't she just say that again?

― The Wayward Johnny B, Friday, 23 February 2007 11:58 (eighteen years ago)

at my office there is a "site owners' database" which we must refer to with regularity and it is called, and pronounced "sod" ... i can't bring myself to say it

for some reason, "the sod" would be acceptable, but they just say "sod" i.e. "is it in sod?" as if it were "tate modern" or something

― Tracer Hand, Friday, 23 February 2007 12:47 (eighteen years ago)

but when the database breaks you can say 'sod off!' to your boss without fear.

― blueski, Friday, 23 February 2007 13:04 (eighteen years ago)

accounting and whatever is related to it. mostly because i'm crap at it.

― nathalie, Friday, 23 February 2007 13:14 (eighteen years ago)

Financial Adviser.

Argh, argh, argh. Advisor is one of the few words in the English language that I can spell without thinking about it, why do you have to go and fuck it up?

― Masonic Boom, Friday, 23 February 2007 13:16 (eighteen years ago)

new digital media convergence

― .stet., Friday, 23 February 2007 13:41 (eighteen years ago)

eff aaa ques

― Ms Misery, Friday, 23 February 2007 13:41 (eighteen years ago)

SQL pronounced as 'Sequel'

― koogs, Friday, 23 February 2007 13:46 (eighteen years ago)

360 content creation

― Tracer Hand, Friday, 23 February 2007 14:02 (eighteen years ago)

I try not to say 'sequel' but admit I slip when lazy. :(

― Ms Misery, Friday, 23 February 2007 14:07 (eighteen years ago)

at my office there is a "site owners' database" which we must refer to with regularity and it is called, and pronounced "sod" ... i can't bring myself to say it

Ha - our overseas offices are forever shortening "start of day" to SoD (i.e. "We'll aim to have those files to you by your SoD.") There are dozens of acronyms and abbreviations in my current job which I refuse to use as a general indication for my disdain at prevailing working practices; I insist on calling things by the terms I used to use in my old job (some of which are driving PJMiller mad). Nose, face, spite, etc.

― Michael Jones, Friday, 23 February 2007 14:12 (eighteen years ago)

indication of, I meant.

Gimme a break, I'm ill.

― Michael Jones, Friday, 23 February 2007 14:13 (eighteen years ago)

"Up-price". As in, "Send me a jacket proof, I up-priced that title." My colleague, who's a lovely person, always says this, and every time I remind myself that tone-deafness alone does not merit violence.

― Laurel, Friday, 23 February 2007 14:16 (eighteen years ago)

SQL pronounced as 'Sequel'

i thought it was es q el. :-(

― nathalie, Friday, 23 February 2007 14:23 (eighteen years ago)

I think that's the preferred pronunciation.

― Ms Misery, Friday, 23 February 2007 14:23 (eighteen years ago)

not SQUEAL!?

― Mark C, Friday, 23 February 2007 14:25 (eighteen years ago)

Oh god, "sequel" must die.

COP = close of play = by the end of the day. I kinda like this one, but a colleague detests it.

― The Wayward Johnny B, Friday, 23 February 2007 14:27 (eighteen years ago)

I translate documents from various fields and come across all kinds of linguistic abominations. I have a particular distaste for "win-win" and "synergy"

― Maria :D, Friday, 23 February 2007 15:33 (eighteen years ago)

Professional

― jel --, Friday, 23 February 2007 15:40 (eighteen years ago)

UP-SELL

Might be appropriate if we sold, you know, ROCKETSHIP ADVENTURES TO THE MOON.

― nickalicious, Friday, 23 February 2007 15:55 (eighteen years ago)

Today I hate the word ASSIGNEE.

― Sarah, Friday, 23 February 2007 16:01 (eighteen years ago)

I could fill a book:

BenOp
PID
SPUFI
one-shot
Informatics
cost advantage
test script

― David R., Friday, 23 February 2007 16:01 (eighteen years ago)

There has to be a better way to abbreviate Offer to Accept or Reject Terrorism Coverage Form than "Terror Form" (although that one is actually kind of fun to say).

― nickalicious, Friday, 23 February 2007 16:05 (eighteen years ago)

Skipping 7 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

"put that in the parking lot"
"3,000 foot view"
"webinar"
"robust dialog"

i'm sure there are dozens more, but i am getting depressed thinking about it.

― lxy, Friday, 23 February 2007 18:14 (eighteen years ago)

"john"
"rough trick"

― nabisco, Friday, 23 February 2007 18:23 (eighteen years ago)

"leverage"

i'm sort of getting to appreciate business speak, since it is a useful shortcut a lot of times, and bullshitty vagueness can be a plus in a lot of cases. but i can't bring myself to really use it.

― gff, Friday, 23 February 2007 18:33 (eighteen years ago)

"piece" as a reference to ANY CONCRETE OR ABSTRACT OBJECT

"the other piece we need to address..." srsly makes my skin crawl

― gff, Friday, 23 February 2007 18:34 (eighteen years ago)

"Corrs" bothers me for some reason, not least because the main project we work on is called "Core."

― jaymc, Friday, 23 February 2007 18:35 (eighteen years ago)

"placenta disposal"

― scott seward, Friday, 23 February 2007 18:36 (eighteen years ago)

JAYMC IS THE BROTHER FROM THE CORRS???

― nabisco, Friday, 23 February 2007 18:52 (eighteen years ago)

"Scalia"

― Jenny, Friday, 23 February 2007 19:37 (eighteen years ago)

ALL OF THEM!

― Abbott, Friday, 23 February 2007 19:41 (eighteen years ago)

"ping" (as a euphemism for "nag", or in any way not related to /sbin/ping)

"gif" (if pronounced like the peanut butter brand, and I don't care if that's the way the guy who invented the format says it because he's wrong)

"creative" (when used as a noun) and "author" (when used as a verb)

― drench, Friday, 23 February 2007 19:52 (eighteen years ago)

I hate when people say they will "shoot" an email. How do I shot email?

― nickalicious, Friday, 23 February 2007 19:59 (eighteen years ago)

speaking to an issue

― Maria :D, Friday, 23 February 2007 20:06 (eighteen years ago)

among other reasons I quit being rock critic because of english language abuse:

eponymous
muscular guitar solo
to "garner" praise
oh god I'm too nauseous to go on you get the idea

― m coleman, Friday, 23 February 2007 20:11 (eighteen years ago)

not that this would necessarily be peculiar to my profession but not that anyone else is answering that way...

"in this connection"

― gabbneb, Friday, 23 February 2007 20:15 (eighteen years ago)

"seamless"

whenever an IT vendor says this I see red

― Edward III, Friday, 23 February 2007 20:22 (eighteen years ago)

i dont know how you get away with not saying GUI if you work in IT. what do you say otherwise? the pretty bit?

im with trace on the whole "lets take this offline" but im always thrilled to hear it when it doesn't involve me

also: "traceability"

― sunny successor, Friday, 23 February 2007 21:02 (eighteen years ago)

yeah, i say 'the pretty bit'. like they did in '98.

― blueski, Friday, 23 February 2007 21:09 (eighteen years ago)

"Folksonomy"

"Unicorn"

― molly mummenschanz, Friday, 23 February 2007 21:13 (eighteen years ago)

i dont know how you get away with not saying GUI if you work in IT. what do you say otherwise?

"interface" usually works

― Edward III, Friday, 23 February 2007 21:27 (eighteen years ago)

yeah, i say 'the pretty bit'. like they did in '98.

blueski on Friday, February 23, 2007 3:09 PM (26 minutes ago)

WOW

― sunny successor, Friday, 23 February 2007 21:36 (eighteen years ago)

"C-47" as a substitute for clothespin (on student film sets, and sometimes real ones).

It's more syllables, even!

― en i see kay, Saturday, 24 February 2007 04:34 (eighteen years ago)

horsey

which in graphic design/advertising speak means...

a little too big in relation to it's surrounding, as in....That logo looks a little horsey, or that headline looks a little horsey.

― dan selzer, Saturday, 24 February 2007 08:01 (eighteen years ago)

Excuse me, but "proactive" and "paradigm"? Aren't these just buzzwords that dumb people use to sound important?...Not that I'm accusing you of anything like that...I'm fired, aren't I?

― Trayce, Saturday, 24 February 2007 09:25 (eighteen years ago)

electronica
psytrance
breakcore

― BATTAGS, Saturday, 24 February 2007 09:31 (eighteen years ago)

I keep finding myself in an environment where people don't have tasks or things to do, they have "a piece of work". STOP IT! When did this start? I thought it was just my old boss being a dick, but I've heard it at many meetings and in three separate workplaces now.

― ailsa, Saturday, 24 February 2007 09:57 (eighteen years ago)

I do pieces of work! It's because that's what they are! If it's just a short report that needs to be written that'll only take a couple of hours, "project" seems too self-important.

― The Wayward Johnny B, Saturday, 24 February 2007 11:27 (eighteen years ago)

"Piece of work" has an entirely different meaning over here, maybe it's a New York thing. On the other hand there are A LOT of them in my office, so maybe it's still appropriate.

― Laurel, Saturday, 24 February 2007 17:08 (eighteen years ago)

"creamy distortion"
"focused tone"

I'm quiet about these when I hear them now, but inside, a tiny voice is constantly screaming "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT EVEN SUPPOSED TO MEAN?"

― John Justen, Saturday, 24 February 2007 17:18 (eighteen years ago)

how are they used?

― Jesse, Saturday, 24 February 2007 18:07 (eighteen years ago)

"Information Technology"
"box" (as in an individual computer/workstation)
"memo" (as in an e-mail)

― Mr. Snrub, Saturday, 24 February 2007 18:13 (eighteen years ago)

Low-hanging fruit

― libcrypt, Saturday, 24 February 2007 20:54 (eighteen years ago)

Endless sports metaphors, especially when mangled. The CEO's weekly newsletter the other day spoke about how the IT industry was an "uneven playing field on which the goalposts keep moving". Gah.

― Trayce, Saturday, 24 February 2007 23:29 (eighteen years ago)

Oh I know. You must have been really tempted to ask him to measure the seismic implications of his position.

In mine own profession: 'fabulous' and 'amazing'.

― suzy, Sunday, 25 February 2007 10:18 (eighteen years ago)

I translate documents from various fields and come across all kinds of linguistic abominations. I have a particular distaste for "win-win" and "synergy"

Yes. I write abstracts for social science journals, and good god, the number of times I've thought "well, if that's what you meant, why didn't you just say that?"

C-47" as a substitute for clothespin (on student film sets, and sometimes real ones).

Nick, pardon my densiosity, but by 'clothespin' do you mean actual clothespins, like the things you use to hang clothes on a washing line? Or are you now laughing at my lack of leet film speak? And if that is what you mean, why on earth do you need enough of them to have a weird code word for them?

― accentmonkey, Sunday, 25 February 2007 11:10 (eighteen years ago)

i've been reading that as 'clothes-spin'... i are an idiot.

― koogs, Sunday, 25 February 2007 11:16 (eighteen years ago)

And if that is what you mean, why on earth do you need enough of them to have a weird code word for them?

They're really useful for keeping colored gels in front lights, since tape can melt and catch fire in front of hot bulbs.

Also, if you reverse them (so that the thin end of each half make contact), you call them C-48s.

― Teenbeat, Monday, 26 February 2007 06:38 (eighteen years ago)

xpost x a whole bunch: They're used to describe guitar tones. They really make no sense, other than a place-holder for "This sound is pleasing to me."

― John Justen, Monday, 26 February 2007 06:45 (eighteen years ago)

i love "functionality" haha and i quite like the terms john hates too

― electricsound, Monday, 26 February 2007 08:09 (eighteen years ago)

"celebrating double"

― PJ Miller, Monday, 26 February 2007 08:11 (eighteen years ago)

Also, if you reverse them (so that the thin end of each half make contact), you call them C-48s.

I see now. Except for this bit.

― accentmonkey, Monday, 26 February 2007 08:23 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, the actual wooden thingies.

I'm of the opinion that it's done only to make sets just that extra bit scarier for the uninitiated. Must scare the freshmen so they don't question your decision to use Hershey's syrup for blood or what have you.

― en i see kay, Monday, 26 February 2007 17:16 (eighteen years ago)

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s199/teenbeat_gmail/IMG_2550.jpg

Top one is a regular clothespin (or C47).

Bottom is a reverso one (Wikipedia says C74, not C48, oh nose!).

― Teenbeat, Monday, 26 February 2007 21:46 (eighteen years ago)

RUBY ON RAILS
FRAMEWORK
WEB 2.0

― JW, Monday, 26 February 2007 23:38 (eighteen years ago)

Web 2.0 is really obnoxious.

I hate using "Semantic Web" as well.

― molly mummenschanz, Monday, 26 February 2007 23:40 (eighteen years ago)

Thanks, Teenbeat. It is all clear now (except, as you say, the naming convention)

What the hell does Web 2.0 mean? I saw it in an Economist article the other day and hadn't realised I was so out of touch.

― accentmonkey, Monday, 26 February 2007 23:57 (eighteen years ago)

Semantic web actually means something though.

Accentmonkey: awesome web2.0 video

― JW, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 00:11 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, I know it does. It doesn't mean I like to use it.

― molly mummenschanz, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 00:32 (eighteen years ago)

Drill down.

― libcrypt, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 07:40 (eighteen years ago)

That is quite a good video, thanks Jon.

― accentmonkey, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 08:31 (eighteen years ago)

Low-hanging fruit

libcrypt on Saturday, 24 February 2007 20:54 (2 days ago)

Drill down.

libcrypt on Tuesday, 27 February 2007 07:40 (8 hours ago)

you are channeling all of the despised terms that i have supressed.

― lxy, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 16:39 (eighteen years ago)

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