About buzzwords and office jargon
A buzzword is a fashionable word or phrase that gets used so often it starts to lose its meaning. Workplaces are full of them, and many began as perfectly useful ideas from sport, the military, engineering or finance before spreading into every meeting.
Jargon isn't all bad: a shared phrase can be a handy shortcut for a team. But overused phrases are also a running joke, which is exactly why buzzword bingo is so popular at office parties. Each phrase on the cards is explained below, in plain English.
Did you know?
The word "synergy" comes from the Greek synergos, meaning "working together".
"Agenda" is Latin for "things to be done".
The word "brainstorming" was popularised by the advertising executive Alex Osborn in the 1940s and 1950s, as a name for quick-fire group idea sessions.
A "keynote" speech is named after a musical idea: the key note is the note a piece of music is built around, so the keynote sets the theme for an event.
"Ballpark figure" borrows from baseball, where the ballpark is the stadium. Being "in the ballpark" means being within a sensible range.
Every phrase, in plain English 40
Meeting jargon 40 words
- action items
- Specific tasks agreed in a meeting, each with someone responsible for doing it.
- alignment
- When everyone agrees on the goals and the plan.
- at the end of the day
- When everything is considered; ultimately.
- ballpark figure
- A rough estimate.
- bandwidth
- Originally how much data a connection can carry. In meetings it means how much time or energy someone has.
- best practice
- The method generally agreed to work best.
- big picture
- The overall situation, rather than the small details.
- brainstorm
- A group session where people suggest lots of ideas quickly without judging them.
- can you see my screen?
- The question asked at the start of almost every screen-share.
- circle back
- To return to a topic later, often because nobody wants to decide it right now.
- deep dive
- A detailed, thorough look at one topic.
- deliverables
- The finished things a project promises to produce, such as a report or a product.
- drill down
- To look at something in more and more detail.
- game changer
- Something that completely changes how things are done.
- going forward
- From now on.
- hard stop
- A fixed time when someone must leave, no matter what.
- KPI
- Key performance indicator: a number used to measure how well something is going.
- leverage
- To make good use of something you already have.
- loop in
- To include someone in a conversation or an email thread.
- low-hanging fruit
- Easy tasks that bring quick results, like fruit you can pick without a ladder.
- move the needle
- To make a noticeable difference, like a needle moving on a gauge.
- on the same page
- Agreeing or understanding a situation in the same way.
- pain point
- A problem that causes frustration, especially for customers.
- paradigm shift
- A big change in the usual way of thinking about something.
- parking lot
- A list where off-topic ideas are noted down to discuss later.
- per my last email
- A polite-sounding way of saying "as I already told you".
- ping me
- Send me a quick message.
- pivot
- To change direction or strategy. Borrowed from sport, where a pivot is a turn on one foot.
- quick win
- A small success that can be achieved fast.
- scalable
- Able to grow bigger without breaking or becoming much more expensive.
- stakeholders
- Everyone who is affected by a project or has an interest in how it turns out.
- sync
- A short meeting to make sure everyone is up to date. Short for synchronise.
- synergy
- When people or teams working together achieve more than they would separately.
- take this offline
- To continue a conversation later, outside the meeting, with fewer people.
- think outside the box
- To come up with unusual or creative ideas.
- touch base
- To check in with someone briefly. Borrowed from baseball.
- value add
- An extra benefit something brings.
- wheelhouse
- Someone's area of skill or expertise. Originally the part of a ship where the steering wheel is.
- win-win
- An outcome that is good for everyone involved.
- you're on mute
- What colleagues say on a video call when someone talks with their microphone switched off.
Every office has its own language
Buzzword bingo is the workplace's favourite in-joke. Each card holds phrases that turn up in meetings far more often than they need to (synergy, low-hanging fruit, let's take this offline) and players quietly mark them as they hear them. It works best as a good-natured game at the end-of-year party, a team offsite or a farewell, where everyone is in on the joke.
The built-in list has 40 phrases, from classic corporate jargon to the video-call staples everyone has heard a hundred times. Even better: switch to your own list. Paste in the acronyms, project names and catchphrases your team actually uses, and the cards become a little time capsule of the year.
Keep it friendly
- Play it at a social event, not in a real client meeting. Nobody wants to be the person whose pitch got bingo.
- Make it about phrases, not people. Avoid squares that single out a colleague's habits.
- Office party version: the host reads squares from the caller sheet like normal bingo, and winners read their winning line in their best keynote voice.
- Conference version: hand out cards before the opening talk and give a small prize to the first full line.
Printing and privacy
Two cards per page fit nicely beside a notepad. Long phrases shrink automatically so they fit the square. Your custom list stays in your browser, so internal project names never leave your computer.
Questions people ask
What is buzzword bingo?
A bingo game where the squares are overused workplace phrases. Players mark a square when they hear the phrase, and the first full line wins. It's best played at social events where everyone is in on the joke.
Can I use my own team's jargon?
Yes. Replace the list with your own phrases, one per line. You need at least 24 for 5×5 cards, and 40 or more keeps cards varied.
Is it OK to play in a real meeting?
Use your judgement. It works best at office parties, offsites and farewells. Keep squares about phrases rather than individual people, so the game stays friendly.
How do long phrases fit on the cards?
Text shrinks automatically to fit each square, and long phrases wrap onto several lines. Shorter phrases are easier to read.
What is in the Medium and Hard PDFs?
Each has 20 unique 5×5 cards and a caller checklist. Medium has a free centre square; Hard has none.