Buzz off!

Often used to impress or show the speaker’s importance, buzzwords usually do the opposite. Rather than showing knowledge, they often create confusion and show a lack of creativity.

Elizabeth Cockle, a Toronto-area copywriter and editor, puts out a monthly newsletter called ECBuzz that features buzzwords and offers alternatives. Here’s her take on a few buzzwords that should be banished from the language:

intel — As in “I’ve got the intel on Intel.” Sounds like a top-secret intelligence operation rather than some information, news, or even gossip you’ve just heard.

actionable — This word has a clear dictionary meaning as “subject to or giving cause for legal proceedings.” So, if you’re in the habit of handing out actionable items instead of action items, don’t be surprised if you get a call from the police.

learnings — We all grew up learning our lessons. Now we’re apparently invited to learn our learnings.

best of breed — This is a blue-ribbon example of how workplace communication is going to the dogs.

ramp up — These days, when you want to rapidly increase activity or production, you have to ramp up. This of course means that the troops have to redouble their efforts (another awful cliché). Let’s just dismantle the ramps in memory of the late Evel Knievel.

To sign up for her newsletter of for more advice on how you can clean up your writing by cleaning out the buzzwords, visit Elizabeth’s website at www.ecwriting.com.

[This article was originally written by Adams Jette for the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy newsletter Bulletin. Reprinted with permission.]