We’re not going to sugarcoat it.
Business people, you sound ridiculous.
An entire generation of white-collar workers have decided that it’s fully acceptable to say things like, “We provide a truly bespoke value-add, from concept to the coal face.”
The Ridiculous Business Jargon Dictionary was started as a place to collect and document the outrageous expressions that have become so common in the working world. Since launching, it has grown to become the largest collection of business jargon online.
Browse the dictionary by selecting a letter from the menu or click one of the choice terms below for a granular deep dive. If you’re looking for the absolute bleeding edge, join the @jargonsafari.
Fresh from the field
Coal face [n.]
The department that actually works to deliver products and interact with clients.
Swim lane [n.]
1) Field of responsibility. 2) A specific segment of a business or market. “Listen, client management just isn’t in my swim lane.
Table stakes [n.]
The minimum resources needed to compete in a market. Occasionally misspelled as “table steaks”, causing confusion and hunger.