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The overused word of the century
The Bing Blog ^ | 9/3/08 | Stanley Bing

Posted on 09/05/2008 12:49:04 PM PDT by wbill

I was at a meeting yesterday, one of those painful presentations where a guy comes in, does twenty minutes of PowerPoint, and nearly turns his entire career to suet. That is neither here nor there. I mean, those things happen all the time. This time, it was Badnick’s turn.

What was interesting to me is that in the middle of the debacle, I heard a small snap. It was the sound of a straw breaking a camel’s back. During the meeting, I realized that a certain word has now been so overused, so over-extended, so bled of any meaning, freshness or appropriateness, that it must now be retired.

That word is Leverage.

I believe I first noticed its widespread acceptance perhaps twenty years ago...(snip)

(Excerpt) Read more at stanleybing.blogs.fortune.cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: bingblog; stanleybing
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To: ConservativeMan55

I nominate “vetted.”


81 posted on 09/05/2008 1:26:29 PM PDT by Scarpetta (e pluribus victim)
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To: Scarpetta

erectile dysfunction


82 posted on 09/05/2008 1:27:15 PM PDT by Sig Sauer P220 (Conceal carry - Don't leave home without it.)
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To: Red Badger

The phrase “Just sayin” is starting to get on my nerves.


83 posted on 09/05/2008 1:27:31 PM PDT by CaliGirl-R
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To: CodeToad
I've found that saying "I proactively leverage my synergies" while in meetings, generally gets a favorable response.

If I'm among like-minded engineers, the line generally gets a laugh. Among management, they nod sagely, like I just dispensed a great pearl of wisdom.

Not kidding. :-)

84 posted on 09/05/2008 1:28:18 PM PDT by wbill
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To: wbill
I'll take the word "cool" over the "kewl" I see all the time on the internet.

The same goes for "fat" over "phat" and "fishing" over "phishing."

85 posted on 09/05/2008 1:28:47 PM PDT by Fiji Hill
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To: wbill

Uh uh uh ahh ahh ummm uhhh


86 posted on 09/05/2008 1:28:57 PM PDT by lakeman
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To: Isabel C.
what exactly does “cool” mean?

Groovy.

87 posted on 09/05/2008 1:29:03 PM PDT by Doomonyou (Let them eat lead.)
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To: Domandred

Another overused phrase: “... of the century”, especially when we’re not even a decade into it.


88 posted on 09/05/2008 1:29:18 PM PDT by AZLiberty (You can't power the U.S. economy on Democrat snake oil.)
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To: wbill

Our hearts go out to you.


89 posted on 09/05/2008 1:30:37 PM PDT by 668 - Neighbor of the Beast (diogeneticistical...esque...ish...)
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To: wbill

My favorite is “I’d like to dialog with you about utilizing resources for a synergetic effort.”


90 posted on 09/05/2008 1:31:45 PM PDT by CodeToad
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To: 38special

Like Totally


91 posted on 09/05/2008 1:31:52 PM PDT by lakeman
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To: wbill

Camelot.


92 posted on 09/05/2008 1:32:32 PM PDT by 668 - Neighbor of the Beast (diogeneticistical...esque...ish...)
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To: All

I would like to take this strategically positioned moment to leverage a previously overlooked annoying word....”Feedback”!!


93 posted on 09/05/2008 1:32:41 PM PDT by Drawsing (The fool shows his annoyance at once. The prudent man overlooks an insult. (Proverbs 12:16))
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Comment #94 Removed by Moderator

To: Enduring Freedom
This whole thread has a case of the Mondays (even though it's Friday).
95 posted on 09/05/2008 1:35:56 PM PDT by Cecily
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To: sf4dubya
Also, us cubicle dwellers always thought the person with more than two words in their title would be the first ones laid off/fired because no one could really figure out what the heck they did every day. Usually turned out to be true.

You mean like, Senior Community Organizer.
96 posted on 09/05/2008 1:36:48 PM PDT by Sig Sauer P220 (Conceal carry - Don't leave home without it.)
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To: Mopp4

word


97 posted on 09/05/2008 1:37:57 PM PDT by Steve Van Doorn (*in my best Eric cartman voice* 'I love you guys')
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To: wbill

We have to check the words on the ground.


98 posted on 09/05/2008 1:39:25 PM PDT by Nick Danger (www.swiftvets.com)
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To: Cecily

“Man, you know what I’d do if I was a millionaire?”


99 posted on 09/05/2008 1:39:39 PM PDT by wbill
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To: Petronski

“The fact of the matter is...” is filler. Like the extra fat in the bacon you want lean, or the long stalk on the broccoli crowns they are selling by the pound. These extraneous words and phrases fill up the time so the speaker need not root around for intelligent thoughts; and we pay more attention than they earn.


100 posted on 09/05/2008 1:39:44 PM PDT by 668 - Neighbor of the Beast (diogeneticistical...esque...ish...)
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