DISQUS

Laura · 1 year ago

For next week, wouldn't it be fun to make up new arbitrary and annoying slang words & see if you can get them to catch on? I've always thought "deglaze" should be used metaphorically in meetings. And "they killed Kenny" should be used to mean "they acted predictably." Etc.

Sarah Chambers · 1 year ago

Laura, That's funny. I'm sure that is exactly where many of these other words came from. If I don't write about "they killed Kenny" next week, I'll probably be writing about it next year and tracing it back to you.

robert edward cenek · 1 year ago

Frank:

Keep up the good stuff!!


The most egregious use of ize is when folks use utilize when the word use would suffice!!

robert edward cenek
Cenek Report

Jen, writer MembershipMilliona · 1 year ago

You know what? I actually like the slang term supersize. I don't know about the whole operationalize term. It seems a bit overboard. It sounds like a word someone wanting to appear stuffy would use. In these times, I say simplicity is the best policy.

Sarah Chambers · 1 year ago

Robert, Thanks for the comment. I agree about utilize. It's a crazy replacement for use. I think it may be one of those words that people think adds emphasis. There don't seem to be enough superlatives to go around.

Jen, Supersize may still have some cultural cache. I fear what will happen when memories fade and it's just one more office oddity. Operationalize is already there. I agree, like many business slang words, people probably say it for a reason. Folks sometimes use slang to appear knowledgeable, hip, or part of a company's "in crowd." Thanks for commenting.

Kate · 1 year ago

Actually, operationalize has a very specific meaning: to make specific. When you are doing research, you need to make your variables operational - that is, so specific that they can be measured easily. You can't measure very easily how unhealthy a person is, so you have to operationalize health: break it into a series of smaller, measurable variables like bmi, calorie intake, number of days missed from work by being sick, etc. Adapted from research to other uses, it just means to make specific or to break down into specific components. It's not jargon slang, its people actually remembering their undergrad research methods classes. It's something business folks stole from we research folks, not something business folks invented.

Productivity Guy · 1 year ago

I actually like the word templatize. As mentioned, it says what it means, and it's necessary to use at times. What would you recommend as an alternative?

I don't like redoing work that doesn't need to be done, so I prefer to templatize wherever possible.

Scott · 1 year ago

I can't BELIEVE you omitted my most hated -ize word: "MONETIZE". You will never hear a pitch without that word. I find it so awkward - like you are afraid to talk about something so base as 'making money', so you try to "class up" your discussion, the same way a police officer talks about speeders who "allegedly perpatrate to operate their vehicle at a high rate of speed"

Frank Roche · 1 year ago

Scott, lol, that is one that really is there all the time. Point well taken.