Has anyone else had it with LINGO

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Larry Pattis

It all started with the non-word "signage"...!

That's not nasal spray for seniors ?

[dagobert]

I work in an industry where the lingo varies from shop to shop. Same piece of equipment but every component has a different name/term depending what facility you are at.

[cmd612]

Originally Posted by rokdog49

I like "lingo" and I'm old.
Years ago a friend of mine commented on a female he hadn't seen for a while who had experienced a significant weight gain.
He said "Wow, she blew up real good."

referring to the SCTV sketch?

[Andromeda]

Originally Posted by dagobert

I work in an industry where the lingo varies from shop to shop. Same piece of equipment but every component has a different name/term depending what facility you are at.

I worked in a hospital for many years. There were two wings of the nursing home section separated by a common dining room but people working each wing had a separate name for certain things. For instance, there was a small wing within each wing that contained a few residents rooms and the med station for the nurses along with a small kitchen area for staff. One wing called this area "the slot" while the other wing called this area "the Island." It often took a while for people to adjust to the different lingo each wing had.

[ewalling]

One area that I've been particularly impressed by the restraint in use of jargon has been whenever I've had a glitch with the computer and needed to call for assistance. The sophistication of my "computer-ese" doesn't extend much beyond "Do I press the pink button on the left?" and when these guys are trying to get me to explore the intricate and elongated bowels of my PC, you might think my lack of specialized vocabulary would cause a severe obstacle to communication. Not so. These people know my kind, they know how to speak to us, and they're divinely patient. I've been effusively grateful at the end of some of these conversations.

[Silly Moustache]

I used to work with IBM ('73 to '93) and I realised at one pot that I could have long and complex dialogues with other IBMers with little or no proper words.

We used to have a green form to complete when something went seriously wrong. It was called a DFU. No-one ever knew what that officially stood for, but we all had our own interpretation!

[zabdart]

I agree that "jargon" is a way we have of admitting ourselves to an "in-group" and excluding others from it. In that sense it IS elitist and I don't like it. It's also the same as the use of current "slang," which is also a way of distinguishing the "hip" from the "non-hip." That's been going on at least since the 1920s, when Louis Armstrong taught all of America new forms of expression.
"Something is happening here and you don't know what it is --
Do you, Mr. Jones?" -- Bob Dylan

[amyFB]

Originally Posted by zabdart

I agree that "jargon" is a way we have of admitting ourselves to an "in-group" and excluding others from it. In that sense it IS elitist and I don't like it. It's also the same as the use of current "slang," which is also a way of distinguishing the "hip" from the "non-hip." That's been going on at least since the 1920s, when Louis Armstrong taught all of America new forms of expression.
"Something is happening here and you don't know what it is --
Do you, Mr. Jones?" -- Bob Dylan

I don't think there is anything wrong with having a group of people with a common interest who consciously decide to exclude other people from the group.

Neither do i think each of us has a desire to belong to every group we encounter.

A case for tolerance of differences could be raised regarding the use of jargon.
I want to say "so, what's the big deal?"

- so, what if those people use funny words that only a few of them understand?
- so, what if they didn't include me in their group?
- so, what if I just smile, ask for clarification (or not) and keep talking?
or move to another group?

[Silly Moustache]

Thank goodness that on this forum, when discussing our joint passions, we don't use any such things as jargon when discussing the respective merits of EIR Vs BRW, or Madrose, and don't need to use abbreviations like "Hog" or "Rose"!

Ol' Andy (also guilty!)

[00Buck]

In my first assignment at the Pentagon, the only "words" I understood were the articles and adjectives.

A lot of jargon is unnecessary, but seems to appeal to our tribal instincts. People seem to get some kind of satisfaction out of being a member of an exclusive club - even if the excluded are few in number. Every now and then, though, it helps will specialized communication.

[Frogstar]

Originally Posted by harmonics101

Okay, electronics has it, music has it, HEALTH CARE has it, automobiles have it, can we just get rid of it and still function as a normal society? I ask you,

H

I can't help but find it amusing that you started the post on this topic with the word "okay"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...mologies_of_OK

[zabdart]

Originally Posted by 00Buck

In my first assignment at the Pentagon, the only "words" I understood were the articles and adjectives.

A lot of jargon is unnecessary, but seems to appeal to our tribal instincts. People seem to get some kind of satisfaction out of being a member of an exclusive club - even if the excluded are few in number. Every now and then, though, it helps will specialized communication.

Hmm... in the novel Catch 22 Joseph Heller describes an instance when Yossarian, while in the base hospital, was assigned the duty to censor soldiers' letters back home. One day he "declared death to all articles and adjectives" and deleted them all from everybody's letters; the next day he deleted everything except articles, adjectives and adverbs from people's letters.

[architype]

I used to work for a firm that did quite a bit of work for the Corps of Engineers.

The COE would act as the PM for the DOD. We would provide A&E services and sometimes LA and ID also. I used to define the SOW for the 1392 forms. Sometimes it was difficult to get the MEP's to stay within the allotted PCE.

That's just scratching the surface. I've forgotten most of the acronyms, but all day long meetings would go on and on with this kind of banter.

[flaggerphil]

Jargon is never going to go away and I wouldn't want it to. I've used it in virtually everything I've done in my adult life (before that was youth slang, which changes all the time and will never go away).

I joined the Navy at the age of 18...jargon. For much of that I was in aviation...jargon. I was an imagery intelligence analyst both in the Navy and as a civilian for over 40 years...jargon. I've been involved in formula car auto racing one way or another since I was 12...jargon. Within that I've been a starter for over 30 years; a professional starter for over 20 years...jargon. I play and collect acoustic guitars...jargon. I've ridden motorcycles since 1968...jargon. Within that I switched to a trike; and within that I ride a Can An Spyder RT...jargon. I love to read science fiction...jargon. My wife and I are avid cruisers and cruise three or four times a year...jargon!!!!!

I'm surprised I can talk normally with anyone.

[amyFB]

Originally Posted by architype

I used to work for a firm that did quite a bit of work for the Corps of Engineers.



The COE would act as the PM for the DOD. We would provide A&E services and sometimes LA and ID also. I used to define the SOW for the 1392 forms. Sometimes it was difficult to get the MEP's to stay within the allotted PCE.



That's just scratching the surface. I've forgotten most of the acronyms, but all day long meetings would go on and on with this kind of banter.

There's that alphabet soup I was talking about!

My current project works with BPM and DPM and QMS, with dabs of NSF, ANSII and SAE and sprinkles of COA & COC.


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