Hello. I'm Gill at engVid; and today, we have a lesson on buzzwords. Okay? So,
this word in itself, I suppose, is a buzzword. So, what is a "buzzword"? It's
a word that's become very popular, and people use it a lot. It's like a
fashion, in a new way of saying something; new vocabulary. Okay? So, a
"buzzword" or a phrase. And some people criticize them because they think
they're overused; they're used too much. And when words get overused, people tend
to lose touch with what the word actually means. They kind of use the
word, not really knowing the original meaning of it, because it just seems
convenient. So... and it's a word they hear other people use, so they copy
without maybe knowing exactly what it means. So, if it's overused... another
word for that is a "cliché" — when a word is used so much, it almost loses
its meaning. And also "jargon"— meaning a kind of specialised vocabulary that
might be used in a particular profession, or in a particular group of
people that it... only they really know what it means. People outside that
organization or that group of people don't know what it means; it's a sort of
specialised vocabulary for... the "jargon". So, we have a few examples
here, then, of present-day buzzwords — some are very new; some have been around
for a while, but they're still popular. Okay. I think buzzwords, sometimes they
have quite a long life; and other buzzwords — they're used for a year or
two, perhaps, and then they just... they might disappear again. But these are
currently used quite a lot. So, let's have a look.
So, a fairly recent one is the "new normal". And that's especially relating
to COVID-19, and the way that we've all had to behave differently because of
COVID. And at first, of course, it didn't feel normal at all. It wasn't
normal to... to stay... stay at home and not go out, and not go to work; not
travel on the train or the bus. So... but people had to get used to that.
Although it wasn't normal for them, people had to get used to it. And as
time went on, people did get used to it, and they started calling it the "new
normal", and sort of getting into them... into our minds that: "Oh, this
is normal now", because we've been doing it for quite some time, so it becomes
normal. But it's a new situation, so it's the "new normal". And as I often
say, these phrases — you often get the same consonant sound. "New normal" — a
sort of sound pattern. I think a phrase will probably stay in use a lot longer
if it has a kind of sound pattern in it because it sounds good. "New normal"
like that. Okay. So, next one: "synergy". This one's been around for
quite a long time; I would say quite a number of years, and it really just
means working together. People working together. Maybe different groups or
different companies getting together, and putting their resources together.
And the idea is that if two or three people, or two or three organizations
work together — they produce a lot more in combination than they would ever do
separately. So, it's a kind of special combination that produces something
special. Okay. So, "synergy". And I always think it sounds a bit like
"energy". It's got the same ending as "energy", and it sounds quite dynamic;
full of energy — that sort of idea. Something special. So, an example of
"synergy" in a sentence — you might say: Oh, three... three organizations, maybe
three charities, who all had a similar kind of purpose may be helping people
in... in an area where there had been a disaster; an emergency charity. And you
may have three different emergency charities who... who do that kind of
work. And if they get together and say: "We can work together on this. We could
achieve a good synergy if we put our resources together, and we can help more
people, and we can share our skills." So, that... that would be an example,
there — "to achieve a good synergy by working together". Okay. That's the way
it would be used. Okay. And then, just going back to the "new normal", you
would say: "Oh, this... the pandemic — we've had to get used to the new normal,
with a different way of living". So, "getting used to the new normal", or
"this is now our new normal". So, that's how you would say it in a sentence.
Okay. Right.
So, let's move on to this next one: "Unprecedented". So, people are quite
fond of using this. If there's a new event that happens, with things like
climate change... I remember a few years ago there was flooding in the UK in
certain areas, and the flooding seemed to be... the water level seemed to be
higher than it had ever been before. So, people were saying: "This is
So, the next one: "to think outside the box" is thought to be a good thing to
unprecedented. This has never happened. We've had flooding before, but it's
never been as high as this." So, you know... "This flooding, it's so high;
it's unprecedented". But then, on one news item, I remember — I think people's
memories were not so good, and they were saying: "It was unprecedented", meaning
it had never happened before, or the water level had never been that high
do. In the past, it was also — and probably still is — described as
before. But then somebody said: "Ah, yes. But a few years ago, the same thing
happened. Haven't you...? Don't you remember? It was bad like this a few
years ago, and nobody did anything about it afterwards to try to stop it
happening again." So, they said: "It's actually precedented; not
unprecedented." But that was a bit funny because the word "unprecedented" is
"lateral thinking", which means thinking sideways. Thinking to the side; not just
used, but people don't tend to use the... the positive — "precedented" for
some reason. They only use "unprecedented" — the negative one,
where it's never happened before. And sometimes, as I say, it can be misused.
If it's a really dramatic situation, people use the word "unprecedented" as
if that's how you describe these situations, without thinking: "It
actually means it's never happened like this before", and that may not be true.
thinking in one place all the time, but to allow your thoughts to go further in
So, okay. Right. So, the next one: "to unpack something". So, this is really a
metaphor that comes from... if you think of a suitcase full of clothes — maybe
you've gone on holiday and you go into your hotel room — and you want to put
your clothes away, so you open your suitcase and you "unpack it". You take
all the things out, and you put them in the wardrobe, in the drawers; you put
different directions. So, that's... also, if you think of a box around your
your toothbrush in the... in the bathroom — things like that. Take each
item out. But "to unpack" — this comes as a metaphor, when... and I remember
this word being used, oh, many years ago, so it's been around for quite a
while. So, it's obviously a useful one — the fact it's still being used. If you
have quite a complicated situation; maybe something... a theory; a
head, but then you try to think further outside that box. So, it's a kind of
philosophical theory or something academic of... and... of some sort. And
it's quite complicated, and there are different aspects to it. And you need to
look at each separate aspect; and look at this part, and then that part, and
then another part — rather than trying to deal with it all in one go. And so,
somebody might say: "Well, this... this theory, it's quite complicated. There's
creative thinking, you know... not to think too narrowly, but to think
a lot of detail in it. We need to unpack it to be able to understand it fully."
So, to look at each part of it and understand the separate parts. So,
that's "to unpack something". Okay. Right.
creatively. If you're trying to solve a problem at work, for example, and you've
tried all sorts of things, but it's all a little bit conventional. So, somebody
might say: "We need to think outside the box with this. Let's be a bit more
imaginative and creative. We might find a better solution, then." Okay. So,
that's that one. Right. This one: "to reach out" — I think I've only heard
So, then this one... I don't like this one very much because, originally, it...
it means a polite visit. Maybe if you've moved house and you're in a new area,
and you haven't met your neighbours yet, you might just go and knock on their
door, and say: "Oh, hello. We've just moved in next door. My name's" whatever.
this used maybe in the past few years. I don't know if it's perhaps more
So... and introducing yourself, just to say hello, so that they know who you are
and that you're their new neighbour. So, that would be a proper "courtesy call" —
you're calling on the new neighbour out of courtesy; out of politeness. But —
there's an "or" to this or a "but" — I sometimes get a phone call, which is a
American, and then it's gradually come here to the UK, and... and it's sort of
sales call, really, but the way they begin it, they say: "Oh, hello. This is
just a courtesy call", and my heart sinks — there's another metaphor. If
your "heart sinks", you think: "Oh, no" because I know what a "courtesy call"
means if it's just a phone call that I'm not expecting. It means a sales call,
but they don't want to call it a "sales call" because they... they think they
spreading now a bit more. But "to reach out" really just means to make contact.
can trick you into, you know... thinking: "Oh, that's nice. Courtesy
call. How nice" and, you know... "to give me a call and say hello". But you
soon find out, as they start talking, that they're wanting to sell you
something. So, I think it's a very dishonest phrase to use, if it's a sales
call, and it puts me off immediately. They're not going to get anywhere with
Okay. But to me, it sounds quite sort of human, you know... "to reach out" means
me if they call it... if they're making a sales call, and they're calling it a
"courtesy call" — they've lost already. So... as far as I'm concerned. So, there
we are.
Okay, next one: "to go viral" — I think we've... this has been around for quite
a few years. It's a bit like... well, it comes from the same idea of a virus; a
disease that spreads. So, "viral" in a literal sense is to do with virology —
to do this with your hand and with your arm; to reach out to somebody in a
the... the study of viruses; the scientific study of viruses and how they
spread. But this is a kind of spreading metaphorically on the internet. So, if
somebody posts a photograph, maybe of a dog doing something funny, like dancing
— a dancing dog or something, and it's really cute, and everybody loves it, and
literal sense. So, it sounds friendly; and I think it's meant to sound
they keep sharing it, and then the other people share it, and it just multiplies
around the internet — millions and millions of people see it — that picture
has "gone viral". Okay. So, because of the internet and technology — the way it
works, I think this... this phrase is with us, you know... for quite some time
now. I don't see, unless it's replaced by some other term... But it's quite a
friendly, really. It's nicer to say in an email: "Thanks for reaching out",
useful one, though. It's... means what it says, really. Okay. And then another
internet one: "to unmute" from video conferencing. I don't think I'd heard
this word until... well, when I first started using Zoom for video
conferencing early in the first lockdown; in early 2020. And you're
rather than: "Thanks for making contact". You know... this is a bit
muted, and then you have to "unmute" to be able to speak. And then people forget
to unmute, and you can just see their mouth moving, but you can't hear
anything — that usually happens. I've done it myself quite recently, so it's
easy to forget. So, "unmute". And people say: "Oh, you need to unmute." So:
cold; compared with this sort of warmer, more human "reaching out" — more
"Remember to unmute before you speak" is how you would use it. So, there we are.
So, I hope that's an interesting run through of some typical buzzwords and
phrases that are being used at the present moment. So, if you'd like to do
a quiz on this topic, just go to the website: www.engvid.com, and test your
knowledge. Thanks very much for watching, and hope to see you again
friendly. Okay.
soon. Bye for now.