Buzzword Bingo - Anecdotes

Anecdotes

I regularly receive contributions from readers, whose experience of linguistic gymnastics never ceases to amaze me (or them). Many of their words and phrases are included in the cards, but some of the anecdotes deserve a place of their own (or are too difficult for me to fit in to my existing pages). They appear here...

Thanks to all who submit material - please keep up the good work..

Eat this!

A director at the company where I work used the phrase "accountable for change". Except, with his East Coast accent it sounded like he said, "a cannibal for change". As in, "We must each be a cannibal for change."

non-profit organisations have a place here too...

Sirs/Madams: It is a wonderful relief to see that through buzzword bingo, today's workers have a joyful and spirited outlet, and a means to develop language to make sense of their increasingly abusive and cynical work environments.

I would like make a bid that you recruit and include our non-profit world of buzzwords which I think are under-represented in your current list. In many cases, although NOT in ALL cases, the nonprofit buzzword world manages to take the worst from the two primary manufacturing sources of buzzwords, the for-profit corporate world and government. Talk about a buzzword windfall, here you have it!

Clearly what is missing from these bingo cards are words I get to use everyday as I write proposals, carry out health and human service projects, and talk to funders (who are both corporate and government).
nonsense! Here's some buzzwords for starters, presented to you in the true spirit of the game (of course if we DID these things it would be wonderful). Please note that in the nonprofit world, most of our jargon requires two words (one each from corporate and from government).
There's lots more where these came from, just ask your readers!

inclusive/ inclusiveness
multi-sector
community-wide
collaboration/collaborative approach
reflects cultural diversity/culturally sensitive
community based
enhance effectiveness
measurable outcomes
community building
assets-based assessment or approach
need based or deficit assessment or approach
capacity building/build capacity
system's change awareness
building/enhance community awareness
infrastructure
one stop shops
service provider
service referral system
coordinated delivery
effective case management
non-duplicative/reduces duplication
focus on families
child focused
valuing (any word goes here...children, families, diversity, community...go for it)
quality of life
best practices model
mentor
volunteer/volunteer based/volunteerism
grass roots initiated

Oh well, enough for now. Whaddaya think? Is the nonprofit world competitive or what? Give us a chance. I think we're in there.

One final observation. Some of the best buzzwords transmogrify the English language beyond what the senses can grasp. The best buzzwords change a noun into an adjective or a verb, for example, or defy any of the English grammar rules or exceptions to the rules about compound words and use of hyphenation. I think one, of many, qualities of a good buzzword is that it is not anywhere close to English as we know it.