Sound bites: Buzz word slingers

Emotions-annoyance“Sea change” indicates a fundamental transformation with far-reaching, revolutionary ramifications. However, for most buzzword slingers, it has come to mean almost any change at all. It is a term used too often these days. I cringe every time I hear it.

Having said that — another phrase that grates on my nerves. That having been said, I digress.

Please! Stop digressing and stick to the subject. And stop filling time with needless phrases like, “having said that” and “I digress.”

This is a lot of annoyance to unpack. That is another annoying word “unpack.” Now, issues don’t need to be examined, they need to be unpacked. Pack your bags and get the Hell outta earshot (asunder, out of range, yonder).

Do you want to sound hip, cool (trendy, in vogue, all the rage), stop with the annoying buzz words and go back to using simple language, not a catch phrase or the days most popular shibboleth.

 

Author: Jason Remington

QZVX Creator, Admin, & Editor, former broadcaster. ABOUT Jason & QZVX.com | Jason's Airchecks

42 thoughts on “Sound bites: Buzz word slingers

  1. BELOVED
    over-used. Most of the people given the title BELOVED, likely don’t deserve it. BELOVED is handed out to veteran broadcasters, celebrities and grandmothers. Only a few deserve the title and those were grandmothers who died prior to the Kennedy assassination period.

    1. That is very strange. Another opener was “You’ll find this funny.” And the story was seldom humorous or worth listening to.

      1. This is part of a culture, but so much of the other mangling of the English language is laziness, stupidity and the failure of the educators who allowed these fools to graduate elementary school.

  2. When you get told off, you got the short shrift. Not the short shift or short ship.
    rapid and unsympathetic dismissal; curt treatment.
    “the judge gave short shrift to an argument based on the right to free speech”
    The word shrift is an archaic noun referring to the confession or absolution of sins. These days, “shrift” is rarely encountered on its own, but it does keep frequent company with “short” in the phrase “short shrift.” The earliest known use of the phrase comes from William Shakespeare’s play Richard III, in which Lord Hastings, who has been condemned by King Richard to be beheaded, is told by Sir Richard Ratcliffe to “Make a short shrift” as the king “longs to see your head.” Shakespeare uses this phrase quite literally (“keep your confession short”), but since at least the 19th century the phrase has been used figuratively to refer to a small or inadequate amount of time or attention given to something.

  3. “To tell you the truth”
    “I’m gonna be honest with you” or “To be honest with you”
    “Let’s be clear about this” or “Let me be clear”
    “Sooner rather than later”
    “I’ve gotta ask you” or, on more important issues, “I’ve just gotta ask ya”

  4. These are a few of my least favorite things:

    Phrases or slaughter of the English language –

    You’ve Got This!
    I started wearing a mask because COVID.
    I can’t go to the bars with my buddies because marriage.
    I am a single mother, but I am a survivor.
    This is so self-empowering.

    and this from tv:
    Alaska Airlines commercial featuring pilots and stewardesses, wearing masks and dancing “The Saftey Dance”

  5. Watching several news channels this morning, when the anchor has finished questioning a contributor, they turn and say “We’ll leave it there…” I heard it on each channel, multiple times.

    1. Tips for zippy cable news interviews. Add these to your patter.

      “Now, I just have to ask you this … ”

      “I’d really love to get your reaction to … ”

      “You know, there’s a question I just gotta ask … ”

      But … (furrow brow or chew on glasses) … but the question on my mind is … ”

      “Another thing I need your input on is this … ”

      “What do you say to people who tell you … ”

      “Talk to us about the … ”

      “Before I let you go … ”

      Someone please sneak in the makeup room and add gorilla glue to the lip gloss.

  6. ” I have been cascading relevant information and believe that, with this, we will take it to the next level while our competition continues to boil the ocean.”

    I respect that, every man is entitled to his opinion, but the question remains: What’s your passion?

  7. Talking heads always say “more on” when they could just say “more” and leave it at that. It sounds absurd when they announce “We’ll have more on sports after this message”.

    1. Maybe they mean “moron” sports, including stories about:

      (1) men who go into pro football knowing they will likely end up with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or (2) parents who encourage their sons to play high school or college football, ignoring or downplaying the risk of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.

      Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive degenerative disease typically found in individuals who have sustained repeated head injuries in the past, including concussions during contact sports. The symptoms of CTE usually develop over several years to decades after repeated injuries and consist of cognitive deficits such as learning disabilities, disinhibition, memory disturbances, and mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. As the disease progresses, some patients may experience progressive dementia and motor symptoms such as balance instability and extrapyramidal disorders.

      A research study conducted in 2017 at Boston University examined 202 brains from deceased football players and found that 177 of them (87%) had signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy from repeated blows to the head.

  8. Be that as it may, in my humble opinion and for what it’s worth, in the final analysis, let’s just say it is what it is, and agree to disagree.

    1. There are lots of moving parts in your statement. You’ve really opened the kimono. I believe your proposition is scalable and best practice. I have been cascading relevant information and believe that, with this, we will take it to the next level while our competition continues to boil the ocean.

  9. “At the end of the day”………..Which end?….I mean, how about “in summary”, “finally”, etc……………this phrase will not die, as most buzzwords do.

    1. I have never found a reason to use AT THE END OF THE DAY in a sentence except when talking about turning the clocks forward or backward.

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