The Buzzword Dictionary: 1,000 Phrases Translated from Pompous to English (How America Speaks series) - Softcover

Walston, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1933338075 ISBN 13: 9781933338071

Publisher: Marion Street Press, LLC, 2006

Synopsis

Pompous jargon pervades English these days, from corporate speak to silly legalisms. This lighthearted look at how English is being mangled reveals the underlying meaning, as well as the attitudes behind the meaning, of more than 1,000 buzzwords. Readers will discover that "learning opportunity" is a nice way of saying "mistake;" a "lawn mullet" is a yard that's neatly trimmed out front but growing long in the back; and a "meanderthal" is someone who has a hard time getting to the point when telling a story. Accompanied by 15 illustrated cartoons, this comical look at language shows how combining words can give way to new meanings.

About this title

About the Author:

John Walston is a former deputy managing editor at USA Today, a former editorial director at United Press International, and a former executive editor at The News Journal in Wilmington, Delaware. He is also the creator of BuzzWhack.com and a senior group-publisher for one of the largest business-to-business newsletter companies in the U.S. He lives in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.

Review:

"Comical and useful...It should be required reading in every corporate suit in America."  —Crain's Cleveland Business

"Useful and winsome inventions."  —Chicago Tribune

"This is the sort of book you can buy just for the fun of it."  —Chicago Sun-Times

"A funny new paperback of trendy and often pompous words and phrases."  —Plain Dealer

"A collection that perfectly purges pomposity."  —Dave Dowling, author, The Wrong Word Dictionary

"As funny as it is informative."  —Zink

About this edition

• Publisher: Marion Street Press, LLC
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1933338075
• ISBN 13: 9781933338071
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 230