Business JargonsLisa ChenGabriella Pan

Jargon the language and vocabulary that is

peculiar to certain people in a trade, profession, or other group.

14th century word -“twittering of birds” not a member of a certain group

you wouldn’t understand what they were saying.

Jargon Versus Slang

Slang: more informal and including made-up words, words that have been changed and exaggerated words.

Jargon is more prevalent with a certain group and can be quite technical.

Bang for the buck

Definition: a better value for the money spent

Originally, an idiom meaning the worth of one's money or exertion

"bang" which means "excitement" and "buck" which means "money“

Variants: more bang for the buck/ bigger bang for the buck/ more bounce for the ounce

Bang for the buckHistory: originated in the late 1960s—military for

expenditures for firepower extended to mean an increased financial

return or better value more bounce for the ounce: an advertising

slogan for a carbonated soft drink Nowadays: More value for one's money, a

greater return on an investment.”

Bang for the buck

For example 1. I think this other system is a better

deal for us. It's faster and has more memory for the same price. It'll give us more bang for the buck. 　　

2. We always get the largest packages of dog food more bounce for the ounce.

Sweat equity Definition: 1. the work or sweat put

into the business gets compensated by equity or ownership in the business.

The potential upside is often much higher than working hourly but compensation is sometimes never received, if the business ultimately fails.

Sweat equity Definition: 2. describe the value added to real

estate by owners who make improvements by their own efforts

families who would otherwise be unable to purchase their own home contribute sweat equity hours to the construction of their own home

Talk Turkey To talk serious business, to talk frankly. Speak plainly, get to the point Ex: Don't call me until you're ready to talk

turkey . Origin: A white man said, "I'll take the turkey and

you the buzzard, or you take the buzzard and I the turkey," the Indian replied, "Talk turkey to me."

Ahead in the Count

If someone refers to your business as one that is "ahead in the count", you're doing very well.

Origin: When the pitcher - ahead in the count - has more strikes than balls against a batter.

In the business world: you have pulled out in front of your competitors and are doing well in your market

The Mom and Pop Store

A colloquial term for a small, independent, family-owned business.

a single location that often occupies a physically small space

an auto repair garage, bookstore or restaurant.

Also refer to inexperienced investors

Boil the Ocean

Boil the Ocean About.com-Management: “To "Boil The

Ocean" is to try to do too much with the resources you have available. Clearly, it would take a lot of heat over a very wide area to boil an ocean. (…)”

Touch Base What BASE? What is to “TOUCH BASE ?”

Hint:

Actually:

Touch Base Merriam-Webster: “to come in contact or

communication” OED: colloq. (orig. U.S.). to touch

base : to meet with or talk to a person (esp. only briefly); to make brief contact; also in extended use. (First use: 1918)

Touch Base From baseball game, U.S. World Wide Words, a British Site About

Language: “You can see that phrases like rain check, ball park and touch base could confuse hearers in Britain, because we literally don’t play the game.”

Due Diligence “[E]ither an investigation of a business or

person prior to signing a contract, or an act with a certain standard of care. “

A common example: the process through which a potential acquirer evaluates a target company or its assets. (Wikepidia)

First use:1598 (OED) 1666   M. WIGGLESWORTH Day of Doom 89  

“Then will I draw all sorts of men to me, Oh, wait upon him with due diligence.”

Due Diligence Wikipedia: “it first came into common

use as a result of the United States’ Securities Act of 1933. “

This Act included a defense referred to as the "Due Diligence" defense, which could be used by broker-dealers when accused of inadequate disclosure to investors of material information with respect to the purchase.

Due Diligence As long as offense-taker exercised "due

diligence" in their investigation into the to-be-acquired company, investment or related objects, they would not be held liable.

Originally limited to public offerings of equity investments, but it has come to be associated with investigations of private mergers and acquisitions as well.

Bubble Junkie Bubble: Stock market bubble, an

economic bubble involving over-valued stock (Wikipedia)

Junkie: "drug addict," 1923, from junk in the narcotics sense + -y (Online Etymology Dictionary, OE)

Bubble Junkie Glossary for Business Jargons : “Those

entrepreneurs that were caught up in the 1999-2000 euphoria surrounding internet stock deals.”

“They got "addicted" to concepts of easy money, high spending, grow big or go home ideas.”

Bear Market vs. Bull Market

Bear Market vs. Bull Market Stock Market Bear Market: “It is a transition from

high investor optimism to widespread investor fear and pessimism. (Wikipedia)”

“A bull market is associated with increasing investor confidence, and increased investing in anticipation of future price increases.”

Bear Market vs. Bull Market Three stories The simplest guess: Baiting It's likely that the popular practices of

bear-baiting and bull-baiting suggested the pairing of bull and bear. Charles Johnson wrote in 1714, "Instead of changing honest staple for Gold and Silver, you deal in Bears and Bulls."

Bear Market vs. Bull Market The Easy-Money Story: Bearskin Jobber A C16 proverb: "selling the bear's skin before

one has caught the bear." A "bearskin jobber" was someone who "sold

the bearskin." He sold a stock he didn't own. He promised

delivery of the stock at a future date in the expectation that the price would fall and that he would be able to buy the stock at a lower price and pocket the difference.

Bear Market vs. Bull Market Finally the scandal: The South Sea Bubble The South Sea Company, formed in 1711, assumed the

entire national debt in 1720 in return for an annual payment from the government plus a monopoly on trade with the South Seas and South America.

Price of the company's stock soared to over 1000 pounds.

Late in the summer, the South Seas stock suddenly reached the bottom, causing England's first great stock-market panic and ruining thousands of investors.

Bear Market vs. Bull Market Also said to be attributed to a poem by

this guy we are (maybe) familiar with: In the year of the South Sea Scandal,

Alexander Pope wrote: “Come fill the South Sea goblet full/ The gods shall of our stock take care:/ Europa pleased accepts the bull/ And Jove with joy puts off the bear.” (Words@RandomHouse)

Conclusion

References About.com-Management Business Jargon to Avoid Dictionary.com Glossary for Business Jargons Interesting Examples of JARGON WORDS, Slang, Lingo Investopedia Merriam-Webster Dictionary Oxford English Dictionary, OED Wikipedia WordReference.com Words@RandomHouse World Wide Words