Buzzwords that make boardrooms spin and PowerPoints sing.
The art of asking (sometimes persistently) for something you want, especially money, votes, or... other favors. Often used as a euphemism in less-than-reputable contexts.
A mechanical component that rotates freely on a pin, allowing two parts to spin independently of each other without tangling. Think of it as the tiny hero preventing your fishing line from becoming a knotty nightmare or your chair from becoming a twisted torture device.
To cut the cord, sever ties, or cleanly separate one thing from another—often used when companies finally acknowledge they're not compatible. It's the corporate equivalent of a breakup executed with HR efficiency.
Keeping something alive, functional, or supported long enough to matter—whether it's a business, an argument, or your motivation on a Monday morning. It's the art of maintenance disguised as progress.
Functional and repairable; the sad reality of products designed before planned obsolescence was invented. Something that can actually be fixed instead of landfilled.
A clever, strategic, or well-considered decision or action that demonstrates intelligence and foresight. Often used to acknowledge when someone makes a wise choice.
To elegantly dodge a question, responsibility, or accountability with the grace of a seasoned politician. The corporate waltz of 'I didn't hear that' presented as strategic maneuvering.
The art of pretending you know where you're going while making micro-adjustments to avoid disaster. In business, it's what leaders claim to do while actually just reacting to market pressures and hoping the quarterly report looks presentable.
The illusion that combining two companies will create value through elimination of redundancy and cost-sharing. Usually results in the opposite—chaos, talent loss, and duplicate spending.
To silently burn with resentment, tension, or suppressed emotion—like passive-aggressive energy waiting for its moment to explode. The corporate equivalent of an employee plotting their next power move.
Someone professionally employed to think several moves ahead and make grand plans about what should happen next—their actual success rate varies wildly depending on who's funding them.
Getting agreement and support from the people who are affected by or interested in a decision. A euphemism for 'we need to convince people to do this whether they want to or not.'
Romance, friendships, or alliances formed aboard a vessel that are as temporary as the voyage itself—lasting only as long as the anchor stays up. Used colloquially to describe fleeting corporate relationships born at conferences.
An official-sounding term for something the company wants to do. Literally interchangeable with 'goal,' 'project,' or 'thing we're working on,' but with more gravitas and PowerPoint slides.
A Japanese multinational corporation and conglomerate founded in 1946, best known for manufacturing consumer electronics including televisions, audio equipment, gaming consoles (PlayStation), and cameras. Sony is one of the world's largest media and technology companies.
A position of employment that requires little or no work but provides an income; a cushy job that pays well for minimal effort or responsibility. It can also refer to a church benefice that carries no pastoral duties.
A desktop or handheld device that uses a spring mechanism to drive metal staples through stacked sheets of paper, binding them together. A standard fixture in offices and schools worldwide.
A 16-bit home video game console released by Sega in 1988 that competed with the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) during the early 1990s. It featured popular franchises like Sonic the Hedgehog and became a defining console of that generation.
That unexpected bonus feature nobody asked for that somehow became more popular than the original—like when a supporting character gets their own show and steals the thunder. In business, it's when a company splits off a division into its own entity, and in tech, it's when research leads to something wildly different than planned. The accidental gold rush of corporate strategy.
When a company's unwanted child becomes a successful adult—basically corporate nepotism that occasionally pays off. The unexpected bonus feature nobody asked for but somehow can't live without.
A day of absence from work or school due to illness or medical appointments, typically allowed within an employee's or student's leave allowance. Sick days are meant to give people time to recover from illness without losing income or academic credit.
A low, raised ridge or hump placed across a road or parking lot to slow down vehicle traffic and improve safety. Speed bumps force drivers to reduce speed or risk damage to their vehicles.
A vertical post or upright bar used to support, secure, or confine something, often seen in cattle pens, crowd control barriers, or structural frameworks. The term emphasizes sturdy, reliable support.
A passenger vehicle with an extended cargo area behind the rear wheels, offering significantly more storage space than a sedan while maintaining a car-like driving experience. Station wagons were especially popular as family vehicles before SUVs dominated the market.