Made up words in company communications

A.N.Other · 24 Jun 2006 at 12:08

Garp said:
snip

ErNciLator's been pwnt!

Anyway, I totally agree with the OP. I can't stand people that use made-up words or really long words completely out of context. They only ever end up making themselves look stupid.

iBankAllDay · 24 Jun 2006 at 12:51

riddlermarc said:
We had a conference call a year or so ago with some Americans, one of which stated "let's take that idea and fly it up the flag pole" Didn't understand the guy, didn't help when he started suffixing random words with "ize" and suggesting we "park that idea in the car park for a while..".

I think that's more management/corporate speak that making words up. The first one in bold, I'm not sure what he means as I think it would depend on the context. The second I take to mean 'let's leave that dea for now and maybe come back to it later'. They used the work park in that context for my training...

cleanbluesky · 24 Jun 2006 at 12:53

Alan Johnson from Peep Show

'We want to kill customers, literally. With our levels of customer service'

'Listen Mark, if you're coming in on this thing with me its got to be total dedication all the way - no girls... just you, me, some takeaway Chinese and a **** off pair of spreadsheets'

(Both heavily paraphrased from memory)

ElvisFan · 24 Jun 2006 at 13:01

rpstewart said:
When it comes to excessive use of the english language there one person who sets the benchmark which others can only hope to reach. That man is one Ron Dennis, CEO of McLaren international. To see just how good he is head over to pitpass.com and try the Ronspeak Translator

Obviously never heard of Stanley Unwin

JonC · 24 Jun 2006 at 13:31

riddlermarc said:
"let's take that idea and fly it up the flag pole"

Looks like that's a variation "Let's fly it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes". Essentially means let's take that idea and see what everyone thinks.

jonc

Von Smallhausen · 24 Jun 2006 at 13:42

ElvisFan said:
Obviously never heard of Stanley Unwin

That man was a genius !

Redwalar · 24 Jun 2006 at 13:50

Although this is not in the dictionary and is obviously made up a quick google search gave this result. Results 1 - 10 of about 9,500 for patternation. (0.20 seconds). The first hit from NASA, but it still does not relate to the context he was implying.

Borris · 24 Jun 2006 at 15:16

OED said:
The action or fact of forming, or conforming to, a pattern; spec. non-uniformity in the distribution of spray from a jet.
1946 M. PEAKE Titus Groan 399 Her hips..swayed when she talked.., they did all but chime as her sharp, unpleasant voice..dictated their figure-of-eight (bird's-eye view, cross-section) patternations. 1949 Jrnl. Royal Aeronaut. Soc. 53 161/1 The use of specialised atomising jets with their accompanying troubles of penetration and patternation is avoided. 1955 Jrnl. Brit. Interplanetary Soc. 14 218 By this time patternation tests were carried out [on a combustion chamber injector] as well as calibrations. 1993 Afr. Amer. Rev. 27 261/1 It marries the patternation on the surface of the mask achieved through ritual, and it reflects the patternation of the urban environment.

Source

AICMFP

Kaed · 24 Jun 2006 at 15:28

OMG!

You've found George! and he appears to be safe and well

http://chroniclesofgeorge.nanc.com/

cleanbluesky · 24 Jun 2006 at 15:34

http://catb.org/jargon/html/B/bob.html

A.N.Other · 24 Jun 2006 at 15:58

Kaed said:
OMG!

You've found George! and he appears to be safe and well

http://chroniclesofgeorge.nanc.com/

Best. Website. Ever.

ErNciLator · 24 Jun 2006 at 16:23

A.N.Other said:
ErNciLator's been pwnt!

Anyway, I totally agree with the OP. I can't stand people that use made-up words or really long words completely out of context. They only ever end up making themselves look stupid.

A.N.Other been re-PWNED

gw borris

Berserker · 24 Jun 2006 at 16:31

So where's ElRazur, with his flingbang, whatever that is.

cleanbluesky · 24 Jun 2006 at 16:32

Berserker said:
So where's ElRazur, with his flingbang, whatever that is.

use it in a sentance...

Fusion · 24 Jun 2006 at 17:02

Slightly irrelevant, but Americanisms pee me off. 'Burgarized'. 'Photographize'. I don't see why they feel the need to modify a perfectly adequate language, that has functioned largely unaltered at it's core for centuries.