Buzzwords to Banish   (Back to Table of Contents)

Buzzword/Catchphrase	Meaning/Alternative Wording
eight-hundred-pound gorilla	largest or most important item, feature, person, etc.
actionable	can be readily done (actionable has a different, specific legal meaning)
Band-Aid	temporary fix
bandwidth	capacity
bring to the table	have to offer
bring x along	include, persuade
buy in (verb), buy-in (noun)	cooperate, cooperation; agree, agreement; consent
create energy around	promote
deliverable	a promised product or item
dialogue (verb)	talk with, speak to, discuss
dog and pony show	presentation
driver	agent of change
end-to-end	complete, comprehensive
enterprise	business, company
facilitate	help, make possible
from day one	from the start
functionality	functions, features
gain traction	gain influence or popularity
get a handle on	understand
going forward	in the future, from now on
granular	detailed
grow (a business, etc.)	enlarge, enhance, expand
hired gun	expert, consultant
incent, incentivize	encourage, influence
intellectual capital	knowledge
leverage	use an existing resource for another purpose
mission-critical	vital
net-net	final result
no-brainer	easy decision
offline	in private
on board	hired, committed to
on the same page	understand or talk about the same thing
paradigm shift	change in approach or thinking
push back (verb), pushback (noun)	resist, resistance
push the envelope	test the limits
ramp up/ramp down	increase/decrease
robust	reliable, works well
run it up the flagpole	test it for approval
scalable	flexible, expandable
solution	product or service
space	niche or market segment
step up to the plate	take responsibility
talking point	subject for discussion
turnkey	ready to operate
win-win	mutually beneficial
work-around	way to circumvent to a problem