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Business jargon, also called biz jargon, corporate lingo or workplace buzzwords, is the shorthand people use at work, such as “reach out”, “circle back” and “key takeaways”. If you searched for “corporate typings”, you are most likely looking for the same thing: the stock words and phrases people type into work emails, chats and reports. This guide explains common terms in plain English and when to use them. For hands-on practice, see BOTI’s communication and business writing courses.
A sound understanding of popular business jargon and buzzwords can stop us from feeling “too old school” or “left out of the loop” in the new world of work. Whether you are learning to do your job more effectively or deciding when to park a topic in a meeting, knowing the common workplace lingo helps you communicate clearly, follow the latest trends and do well in business. Some of today’s buzzwords appeared after the pandemic. Others have been around much longer and have only recently caught on.
What is business jargon?
Business jargon is the set of words and phrases that employees use with each other to get their jobs done. Most of these terms could be replaced with plainer words. Even so, this “language” has become so widespread that many people use it without thinking. Buzzwords are the fashionable end of jargon: terms that spread quickly, often through meetings, social media and HR conversations, and that sometimes fade just as fast.
Let’s learn how to “talk the talk”
Now that we have a basic idea of what business jargon is, here are some of the most common terms used at work today and what they actually mean.
Reach out
Businesses use “reach out” to mean contacting another person or company, usually by email or phone. “I’ll reach out to the supplier” simply means “I’ll contact the supplier”.
Quiet Quitting
“Quiet quitting” is one of the most debated of the newer buzzwords. To some, it suggests resistance, rebellion or even refusal to work. What it actually describes is an employee who does the minimum the job requires and no longer goes beyond it.
Waist-up Fashion
Anyone who works from home or spends much of the day in online meetings will recognise this term. It describes dressing professionally from the waist up only, because colleagues see just the top half of you on video platforms such as Zoom or Teams. Below the camera, the pyjamas and slippers stay on.
Talent Retention
After the pandemic, HR practitioners and hiring managers began to reassess what a job requires against what employees can deliver. Pay was no longer the only way to keep people loyal. “Talent retention” refers to the ways an organisation keeps skilled employees motivated and committed, so they stay and the business performs.
Bleeding Edge
“Bleeding edge” is a play on “cutting edge”. It describes technology or ideas so new that they are still untested and carry real risk. Early adopters may gain an advantage, or they may “bleed” time and money on something that does not work yet.
In the loop
Someone who is kept “in the loop” receives the important information about a subject or project as it happens. Being “left out of the loop” means missing those updates.
Boil the ocean
To “boil the ocean” means trying to do far too much at once, taking on a task or project so large that it cannot realistically be finished. “Let’s not boil the ocean” is a polite way of asking a team to narrow the scope.
Acting your wage
“Acting your wage” goes hand in hand with “quiet quitting”. It means matching your effort to what you are paid and to how you are treated at work, including your well-being and psychological safety. In practice, it means doing what the job description asks and no more.
Upskilling
Upskilling means learning new skills, or improving existing ones, so that you can do your current job better or move into a new one. Beyond job title, salary and flexibility, employees increasingly say that engagement and continuous learning drive their motivation. As new workplace technologies arrive quickly, more employees are asking for training and upskilling opportunities. Many organisations meet this need through corporate training programmes and short courses.
Lots of moving parts
Organisations say a business, system or project has “lots of moving parts” when many departments, processes and people must work together for it to succeed.
Blue sky thinking
“Blue sky thinking” means open, creative idea generation that is not limited by current constraints, budgets or ways of doing things.
Key takeaways
“Key takeaways” are the most important points that people should remember after a meeting, presentation or report.
Game changer
A “game changer” is an idea, product or event that significantly changes how a project or company works, usually for the better.
Gain traction
When an idea or project “gains traction”, it is being accepted, starting to work or becoming popular.
Aha moment
An “aha moment” is a sudden moment of insight, when something finally makes sense.
Meeting buzzwords you will hear every week
Meetings produce a lot of corporate lingo. These are some of the terms you are most likely to hear around the boardroom table or on a Teams call:
- Circle back: return to a topic later, once more information is available.
- Take it offline: discuss a point outside the meeting, usually with fewer people.
- Park it (or the parking lot): set an item aside so the meeting can stay on its agenda.
- Bandwidth: a person’s or team’s capacity to take on more work.
- Low-hanging fruit: quick, easy wins that need little effort.
- Deep dive: a detailed look at a subject or set of data.
- Action items: the specific tasks people agree to do after the meeting, each with an owner and a date.
If you chair meetings or take minutes, turning this lingo into clear, recorded decisions is a skill in itself. BOTI’s Chairing a Meeting with Confidence & Keeping Good Minutes course covers it.
When to use buzzwords and when to speak plainly
Jargon is useful when everyone in the room shares it. It saves time and signals that you understand how the organisation works. It becomes a problem when it hides meaning, excludes newcomers or confuses clients. A few practical guidelines:
- Know your audience. Use shared team shorthand internally, but explain or avoid it with clients, suppliers and new staff.
- Replace vague buzzwords with specifics. Instead of “let’s circle back”, say “I’ll send the figures by Thursday and we’ll decide then”.
- Write plainly. In emails and reports, a short, direct sentence is usually clearer than a string of buzzwords. BOTI’s Email Etiquette Course and Business Writing Skills for Function and Purpose course focus on exactly this.
- Ask when you are unsure. Asking “what do you mean by that?” is better than nodding along and missing a deadline.
- Watch the trendy terms. Words such as “quiet quitting” can sound like an accusation, so use them carefully when discussing a colleague’s performance.
For more on clear workplace communication, read the 7 Cs of communication and how effective communication powers up the workplace.
Hard hitter or quiet quitter?
Whether you are a seasoned employee, a recent graduate or working your way up the corporate ladder, you need to understand the impact you make on others at work, and that includes how you use today’s workplace lingo. Is your behaviour that of a “hard hitter” who gets things done, or of a “quiet quitter” who does the bare minimum to stay employed? The words you choose, and how clearly you use them, shape how colleagues see you.
Frequently asked questions
What is business jargon?
Business jargon is the set of words and phrases people use at work as shorthand, such as “reach out”, “in the loop” and “key takeaways”. It is useful when everyone understands it, but it can confuse clients and new staff.
What does corporate typings mean?
“Corporate typings” is not a standard business term. People who search for it are usually looking for corporate lingo: the stock words and phrases typed into work emails, chats and reports, such as “as per my last email”, “circle back” and “reach out”.
What are common meeting buzzwords?
Common meeting buzzwords include “circle back” (return to a topic later), “take it offline” (discuss it outside the meeting), “park it” (set it aside), “bandwidth” (capacity to take on work), “low-hanging fruit” (easy wins) and “action items” (agreed tasks with an owner and a date).
Should I use buzzwords at work?
Use them sparingly and only when your audience shares them. With clients, suppliers and new colleagues, plain and specific language is clearer and avoids misunderstandings.
If your team needs to communicate more clearly in person, on the phone and in writing, BOTI’s Business Communication Strategies: Verbal, Non-Verbal and Written course is a practical next step. Training runs in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online. This course is not accredited. It is delivered as a professional skills programme, and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance. Call BOTI on 011 882 8853 or email [email protected], or request a quote.