Sigh. Who hasn’t had to deal with business double-talk in the office? To help you decipher all that spin going on in the conference room, here’s the lowdown on “The Buzzword” (what the office cronies are saying) and “The Buzz” (what they really mean).


The quicker you pick up on the real meaning behind business buzzwords, the faster you’ll get ahead.

The Buzzword — The Buzz


I’d like to build on your point.  — I totally disagree with you, but you’re my boss.

Thank you in advance. — If you don’t do this, I’m screwed.

We’re launching another major initiative. — Your life will be a nightmare for the next six months.

I was out doing competitive research. — I was shopping.

We need to think outside the box. — We’re desperate.

Thanks, I’ll take that into consideration. — Your ideas are stupid and you don’t matter.

We’ll do some qualitative research and report the results immediately. — I’ll ask my wife.

This is mission critical. — Your ass is on the line.

Due diligence! — I have an MBA!

CC me on everything. — I don’t trust you for a second.

We have a change in strategy. — We have no idea what we’re doing.

From The Bad Girl's Guide to Getting What You Want by Cameron Tuttle, illustrations by Susannah Bettag. Copyright ©2000 by Cameron Tuttle and Susannah Bettag. Reproduced with permission from Chronicle Books LLC. To learn more about the Bad Girl line and purchasing Bad Girl products, visit www.badgirlswirl.com.  Photo © istock/Joey Nelson