Buzzword bingo

Buzzword bingo is a bingo-style game where participants prepare bingo cards with buzzwords and tick them off when they are uttered during an event, such as a meeting or speech. The goal of the game is to tick off a predetermined number of words in a row and then yell "Bingo!".

In modern businesses where collaborative "teams" gather as a matter of routine to review activities and map future actions, sessions are often led by guest speakers or notable personalities higher up the pay scales or chain of command. The language used by these speakers often includes predictable references to arcane business concepts, which are perfect for buzzword bingo players to use on their bingo cards.

Part of the game is to have the courage to actually yell "Bingo!". In order to avoid reprimands that would surely follow if such behavior happened, the participants are more likely, as the speaker utters the buzzwords, to look at one another quietly and mouth the word "Bingo" without making a sound to the delight of those that may have seen it. The result is a statement that the speaker is just spouting off a bunch of buzzwords and really providing little value.

The concept was popularised by a Dilbert comic strip in 1994.

One documented buzzword bingo occurred when Al Gore, then the Vice President of the United States known for his liberal use of buzzwords hyping technology, spoke at MIT's 1996 graduation. Hackers had distributed bingo cards containing buzzwords to the graduating class. [http://hacks.mit.edu/Hacks/by_year/1996/gore/]

A 2007 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIxcxfL5jas IBM commercial] displays buzzword bingo in action.

Bullshit bingo is a satirical version of Buzzword Bingo, usually played in a clandestine manner by office workers frustrated by the verbiage of their superiors.

References

* Elizabeth Macdonald and Asra Q. Nomani reportedly cited the phrase in "Lots of Executives Become Fair Game For Buzzword Bingo," The Wall Street Journal, June 8, 1998 * [http://www.wordspy.com/words/buzzwordbingo.asp]
* [http://lurkertech.com/chris/bingo/index.html] Tom Davis's Buzzword Bingo. The site generates random cards using a large word database.
* "Lots of Executives Become Fair Game For Buzzword Bingo --- As for the Takeaways, Well, It Seems to Be a Paradigm For Mocking the Enablers," By Elizabeth Macdonald and Asra Q. Nomani. Wall Street Journal. (Eastern edition). New York, N.Y.: Jun 8, 1998. pg. A.1 (credits game to Tom Davis of Silicon Valley circa 1993. Suggests, to save job, coughing instead of yelling "Bingo").
* "Time to take a terrible revenge on jargon addicts: Breathe life into office meetings with Buzzword Bingo, the game that makes management jargon worth listening out for;" [London edition] Kellaway, Lucy. Financial Times. London (UK): Jun 22, 1998. pg. 16 (says write down your own favorite management clichés. Cites Dilbert cartoon as source.)
* "The buzz about Bingo," Industry Week. Cleveland: Jul 20, 1998.Vol.247, Iss. 14; pg. 68 (turn clichés into cash prizes, but avoid getting fired if the boss hears you say Bingo)
* "Buzzword Bingo is the game!," Computimes Malaysia. New York: Sep 10, 1998. pg. 1 (says it originated in a Dilbert cartoon.)
* "The Buzzword Bingo Book," Paula Chin. People Weekly. New York: Apr 5, 1999.Vol.51, Iss. 12; pg. 53. (says game invented by a Silicon Valley scientist).
* " Buzzword bingo," Anthony Wilson-Smith. Maclean's. Toronto: May 22, 2000.Vol.113, Iss. 21; pg. 7 (says buzzword is an alternative for "the other bu.. word.")
* "Let's play buzzword bingo!" Marketing News. Publisher: American Marketing Association, Chicago, IL USA. PMID (ProQuest Media Identifier): 22907. Chicago: Dec 3, 2001.Vol.35, Iss. 25; pg. 12 (5 x 5 card with some of these phrases and others)
* "Hewson on talking a lot but saying nothing," Andrew Hewson. Horticulture Week. Publisher: Haymarket Business Publications Ltd.,London, ENGLAND. PMID (ProQuest Media Identifier): 55731. Teddington: Jul 3, 2003. pg. 19 (Bullshit Bingo makes it possible to appear to be paying attention in a boring meeting.)
* [http://telephonyonline.com/mag/telecom_buzzword_bingo/index.html] "BUZZWORD BINGO," Ed Gubbins. Telephony. Publisher: Prism Business Media, Inc. NEW YORK, NY 10011. PMID (ProQuest Media Identifier): 28303. Chicago: Dec 13, 2004. Vol.245, Iss. 24; pg. 21 (a scorecard of management clichés such as these would be made up before conference calls)
* "DR SPIN" Hospital Doctor. Published by: Reed Business Information UK, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS ENGLAND.PMID (ProQuest Media Identifier): 59471. Feb 2, 2006. pg. 39, 1 pgs (example of Bullshit Bingo" playcard with many of these phrases. Tick them off then shout "Bingo" when you hear the fifth one in a meeting.)
* [http://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2006/05/16/35370/Managers+unable+to+communicate+with+staff.html] "Managers unable to communicate with staff," Personnel Today. Sutton: May 16, 2006. pg. 3 (Has a 3 x 3 "buzzword bingo" card. Some of same phrases. Says in survey employees want management to stop using "buzzwords" in meetings.)
* "Is It All Hooey?," Brian Friel. Government Executive. Publisher: National Journal Group, Inc. Washington, DC. PMID (ProQuest Media Identifier): 22476. Jul 1, 2006. Vol.38, Iss. 11; pg. 70 (explains management clichés as a subgenre of the "self-help movement," cites some of these phrases)

External links

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