WHO WE ARE: Going forward, lets iterate our nuances

Wednesday May 9, 2007 04:08 PM

Who We Are

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A column about Australia by David Dale, published in The Sun-Herald, 22/3/2009
A perfect storm, or, more precisely, a perfect shitstorm, of protest greeted this column's assertion last week that the Buzz Word Of The Year is nuance (see below). Readers accused me of premature expostulation, urging consideration of other fashionable jargon from politics, business, education and sociology before we settle on a winner.

I'd thought I was in the clear when I discovered a reference to my chosen BWOTY in the newsletter Crikey, where Canberra correspondent Bernard Keane described Malcolm Turnbull thus: "His economic message on the stimulus packages -- support for the first package then criticising its impact, opposition to the second package but support for a smaller package of tax cuts and infrastructure investment in the event the Senate blocked it -- has more nuance than, well, Nuanced Jack McNuance, winner of this year's Mr Nuance competition."

But Jim Irvine found inspiration in another politician: "Sorry, you are all wrong. Toxic is gathering a lot of support, thanks to Tony Abbott." And Arthur McKenzie asked: "What about working families, year on year, conduit, securitisation and going forward?" To which Andrew added: "I work in the finance/accounting industry ... the phrases 'Going forward', 'Moving forward' and 'Incentivise' are dropped on the floor like peanut shells."

Stephen Loomes reckoned that "moving forward" had "its bastard birth in the US with Condaleeza Rice, but it has so replaced words such as advanced, progressed or other simpler expressions that it has become a veritable stampede."

Maozze revealed that "in our office, we've developed a measure called the milli-Rudd (mR), that provides a score of buzzwords multiplied by turgidity multiplied by dullness multiplied by blandness. We reckon that to get any document approved by the Boss, you need to score at least 945 mR."

A reader who wished to be called Roger That nominated "iteration" and "iterative': "Whenever someone is trying to make their project sound important, they say 'it's an iterative process'. As far as I can tell, this means they are taking it one step at a time."

But Tassie leapt to the defence of this concept: "Iterative is not the same as repetitive. An iterative process is one in which an action is repeated, with a result which is closer to the desired one on each occasion. For example, creating a form to be filled out is an iterative process; I design the form, people fill it out incorrectly, I alter the form, they make new mistakes, I alter it again to discourage those mistakes, a new requirement comes along ... it will probably never be 'finished' but it is getting better each time." So by this definition, each new iteration is a nuance of the last one?

A little research reveals that "iterative" and "iteration" come from the Latin word "iter", meaning "a journey", which reminds us of the BWOTY for 2008, when every speechmaker at the Oscars, Logies, Grammys, Emmys and AFIs told us they'd been on one.

Dermot Duncan previewed next year's BWOTY: "I recently returned from living in the UK after 7 years: the word I heard the most was 'segue' [pronounced segway]. It supposedly means to 'move seamlessly from one theme/idea to another'. So, it is a 'link'." And if you're segueing, you have to be moving forward.

You can nuance this journey at the online iteration of this column by going forward to Comments.

WHO WE ARE, 15/3/2009
This column has identified The Buzz Word Of The Year. Normally it takes until December to figure out the BWOTY, by which time everyone is sick of it. That's what happened with such past favourites as synergy (usually accompanied by a gesture in which the fingers of both hands are linked together); metrosexual; transparency; sustainable; maverick; mother-of-all ...; me-tooism; and footprint.

You've got a nine month start to throw this year's BWOTY into conversations and impress your listeners. But I must issue a warning: to demonstrate the word's sudden pervasiveness I am going to have to repeat it so many times that you're likely to lose all grip on its meaning, which is elusive in any case. So read slowly and look away often from the page.

I first spotted the new usage in an interview with Joel Fitzgibbon, Australia's Defence Minister, who is currently at war with the nation's military leaders. He said: "Have I seen attempts to nuance information to cover for mistakes? Yes. Have I seen nuanced information in an attempt to produce outcomes that are more favourable to those who are responsible for the issue? Yes."

Clearly he's accusing the generals and admirals of naughty behaviour. For him, a verb derived from the French noun for a shade of colour (which was, in turn, derived from the Latin word for cloud) has come to mean twist, distort or obfuscate.

But you can do it to people as well as to things. Recently Greg Sheridan, in The Australian, described Indonesia's Foreign Minister thus: "He is nuanced but quietly declarative about the new level of intimacy Indonesia is seeking with the US." Then Australia's former foreign minister Gareth Evans proposes an alternative to military force to stop human rights abuses in other countries: "This is a much more complex and nuanced approach."

The West Australian newspaper reviews the first concert by the British band Coldplay thus: "It's hard to be loud and soft at the same time, but Coldplay have mastered the nuance." A wine connoisseurs' website review of Hunter's Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand, describes it as "juicy and bracing, with refreshing flavors of grapefruit, key lime and gooseberry lifted by a subtle peppery nuance."

The Gold Coast Bulletin reports that the new coach of the local soccer team "refuses to recoil from the burden placed upon him -- even though it will give every team selection, every gesture and nuance added piquancy in 2009-2010". The website Qjump, reviewing Justin Bond's performance at the Sydney Mardi Gras festival, remarks on his " husky voice, somewhere in the gin-soaked, world-weary Marianne Faithful family, adding an unheard of nuance to The Carpenters' songs."

So a word once restricted to the art world now works for politics, music, sport, and alcohol. Clearly, it has many shades. Tell us your sightings, and offer your alternative BWOTYs, at Comments.

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). For daily updates on Australian attitudes, bookmark http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

COMMENTS

For me the outstanding BWOTY, is two words strung together: "move forward" or "moving forward"; I believe it had it's bastard birth in the U.S. with Condaleeza Rice but it has so replaced words such as advanced, progressed or other simpler expressions that there are so many people "moving forward" that it has become a veritable stampede. The mechanism of pollination is fascinating; it seems to require a prominent television mounted flapping jaw to give birth to these bastard children of the English language, and then one of their many acolytes must metaphorically think, "well, I might sound quite advanced and hip if I drop that one in somewhere" and so it grows like a cancer. After a while everyone is moving forward and no-one is left standing still, dithering, going sideways or in reverse.

by Stephen Loomes on March 15, 2009 at 08:14 AM

My favourite corporate cliche is 'iterative'. Whenever someone is trying to make their project sound important, they say 'it's an iterative process'. As far as I can tell, this means they are taking it one step at a time. And also as far as I can tell, just about everything is an iterative process: you breathe out, you breathe in. Your heart goes 'bomp' then 'bomp' again. You put one foot forward etc. So, it's an unchallangeable statement, sure to get a head nodding somewhere, along with, if I'm there, an exaperated sigh.

by Roger That on March 15, 2009 at 08:27 AM

The one that gets to me lately is "on the back of". Whatever happened to plain old "following"?

by Pedant on March 15, 2009 at 08:48 AM

I recently returned from living in the UK after 7 years: the word I heard the most was 'segue'. After the person had used the word a few times, I asked what he meant as well as looking it up in the dictionary: it supposedly means to 'move seamlessly from one theme/idea to another'. So, it is a 'link'. It is interesting the impact 'words' have on people's impression of us: some think it is clever whilst others arrogant. I believe, that if you cannot explain concepts in 'simple and easy to understand' terms, you don't really know what you are talking about - something our leaders could take on board?

by Dermot Duncan on March 15, 2009 at 09:17 AM

What about "working families", "year on year", "going forward", "conduit", "securitisation". But "Kevin" has got to be the one - good, bad or indifferent.

by Arthur McKenzie on March 15, 2009 at 09:31 AM

I so absolutely agree with your vision on this. I am so glad someone has finally made it their mission statement to make reflection on this supposed high end habit

by stewart.mcneill on March 15, 2009 at 09:33 AM

Sorry you are all wrong. Toxic is gathering a lot of support thanks to Tony Abbot

by Jim Irvine on March 15, 2009 at 02:38 PM

You raise some interesting points, Dermot. I am certain our leaders are very well aware that the more they talk, the less they say. Regarding the arrogant use of words, I think it's pretty straight forward. If you use a word because you know the other person doesn't know what it means, then it's arrogant. If you use it because it really gets to the heart of the thing you are trying to describe and there is no better (or more common) word, then I find that people are generally keen to know what it means - or even better, glean the meaning from the usage in context.

by Stephan Gyory on March 15, 2009 at 04:43 PM

INCENTIVIZE is a non-word that I have heard a lot lately both here and in the US when polliticians are discusing ways to INCENT the banks and Wall Street types to act the way a Democrat or Labor person would desire - frequently inconsistent with with good economic practise.

by Bruce on March 15, 2009 at 07:55 PM

"that's exactly right" seems to me to have spread its way through almost everywhere. In conversation, on the radio and even the print media. I hate it.

by Tony James on March 16, 2009 at 08:39 AM

I work in the finance/accounting industry... the phrases "Going forward", "Moving forward" and "incentivise" are dropped on the floor like peanut shells.

At least the BWOTY from politicians is unlikely to be "Battler" or something similar... also "Reform" seems to have fallen by the wayside as well.

by Andrew on March 16, 2009 at 09:02 AM

Hey, I can nuance the meaning of nuancing. But let's segue backwards and maintain a bit of transparency and sustainability in our language. Do we really need the additional abbreviation BWOTY?

by Confused on March 16, 2009 at 09:35 AM

I have heard them called Weasel Words and they are used to make the speaker seem intellectually superior, or in some circles, as intellectually developed as a colleague. In many instances they are used as fillers when someone is trying to pad out their sentence because they are bereft of real ideas but don�t want to be seen as such.
Besides some of the examples mentioned above, a couple of weasel words that get me every time are �strategy�, (when the speaker means �plan� as invariably they do), and �I personally�, (how can �I� be anything other than �personal�?) and the phrase �did you not� as in �did you not hear what I said?�, (when the less complex and significantly less mangled phrase �did you hear what I said� would be much more effective).

by Pete on March 16, 2009 at 12:17 PM

How can we ignore 'Perfect Storm'? Or has it been so long we have been suffering meteorological exactness that its year has passed already?
And Roger, 'iterative' has a lot more to do with going around in circles than 'moving forward' one step at a time.

by Laurence on March 16, 2009 at 12:27 PM

Roger That - I'm afraid that you really should have checked with a good dictionary (or a friend with a wider vocabulary) before writing that post. Iterative is not the same as repetitive. An iterative process is one in which an action is repeated, with a result which is closer to the desired one on each occasion. For example, creating a form to be filled out is an iterative process; I design the form, people fill it out incorrectly, I alter the form, they make new mistakes, I alter it again to discourage those mistakes, a new requirement comes along... it will probably never be "finished" but it is getting better each time. Some of the projects probably are iterative, some of them probably aren't and the people running them just don't know how to do it properly the first time. Like most "popular" words, there will be people using them accurately, and people using them to make themselves ound better. That's not the fault of the word, though...
Dermot - Sometimes people use words to sound important or clever; sometime people use them because they express the concept the person wants to express clearly and with minimal explanation. If a person is just trying to sound important or clever, they will almost always use these "clever" words incorrectly; it's only possible to tell the difference if your own vocabulary is sufficient (or you are willing to look it up in a good dictionary). I suggest that you invest in a copy of the Oxford English Dictionary (the full one, not the Pocket Edition) and use it before you make any further disparaging remarks about people's use of words that you don't understand. You will probably find that the subtle differnces in meanig add a layer to your communication that you never realised could exist.

by Tassie on March 16, 2009 at 12:42 PM

I'm not worried about BTWOYs at this point in time, going forward.

by John on March 16, 2009 at 03:28 PM

In our office, we've developed a measure called the milli-Rudd (mR), that provides a score (probably a cubic measure) of buzzwords multiplied by turgidity multiplied by dullness multiplied by blandness. We reckon that to get any document approved by the Boss, you need to score at least 945 mR. On a good day.

by Maozze on March 16, 2009 at 03:40 PM

'Perfect Storm' has progressed to become 'Perfect Shit Storm' and 'Perfect Fire Storm' and while I'm on the subject 'Black Saturday' doesn't quite stick does it (no matter how hard THEY try)?
A personal un-favourite of mine is 'space' as in "ooooh isn't this a wonderful space. Let's put the chaise longue over there...next to the bancquette". Try 'room'.

DD replies: There is also "personal space", which may mean not touching someone's bottom line.

by darren on March 17, 2009 at 08:31 AM

I must admit "moving forward" is a personal favourite of mine after attending a staff training session - if the trainer used it once, she used it a thousand times. Also love "ahead of" - before and "in the wake of" - after.

by Shoopie on March 21, 2009 at 10:34 AM

What peeves are people who utilise the word "utilise". Can't they just use the word "use"?

by Bereft Skerrick on March 21, 2009 at 11:28 PM

There are just too many examples to really be able to pick one. But you can use several methods. First is the media and politicians because their use of words is so available. Second you can use annoyance, by that I mean the use of a word that has the most annoying effect on you. Third is where you think that a word is consciously being used to hide a fact or deceive the listener or reader about a particular state of affairs. However, there could be a rule of thumb. Adjectives and adverbs are actually the sworn enemies of the nouns and verbs they are used with. Verbs used as nouns and visa versa create another word and kill off the original word. All of the words you mention can be found in the alternatives mentioned. It is very comforting to see someone in the media on the lookout for the BWOTY. But is is it possible that "buzz" is also part of the BWOTYs

by George Ikners on March 22, 2009 at 02:20 AM

...when it comes to the BWOTY, I'd have to nominate "When it comes to.."

by simon bedak on March 22, 2009 at 05:37 AM

"That is a good question"
Sorry I don't ask bad questions so don't patronise me or assume you already know the answer becuase invariably you don't or are not prepared to give an honest reply in less than 2000 words or many mR's.

by David on March 22, 2009 at 07:19 AM

The phrase that jars most for me is 'covering off' .... as in covering off points, issues .... before moving forward ...

DD replies: Presumably that would allow them to sign off on the bottom line.

by Fifi on March 22, 2009 at 08:09 AM

I'm just concerned that 'traction' appears to be......losing traction?

by Hutchley on March 22, 2009 at 09:13 AM

O.K., so "moving foreward" has taken the prize as the most annoying buzz phrase for some time now, but may I add to the list:
Resource - when referring to staff;
Leadership - when referring to management (really guys, no one's following you);
Leverage - why use it when you can leverage it?; and
Reaching out -instead of just speaking to someone.
Moving forward, my personal Mission is to make all those who use these buzzwords realise that they are total wankers, and my Vision is to get to that day when you can have a conversation with a work colleague and actually understand what they are saying.

by Ihatecorporatespeak on March 22, 2009 at 09:50 AM

I stop listening when people state that they will talk AROUND a question or point, insead of about or to the point. AROUND appears to be precursive of the fact they will not answer or address the actual issue

by Andrew on March 22, 2009 at 10:15 AM

Ever since David Dale wrote his story a few years back, about the possibility that we would all have spoken Portuguese if only they would have stayed, (they were never here before the 1st fleet) and about that the the continent would have been covered with windmills if the Dutch would have stayed (they did come here from 1606, but Indonesia was never so covered, but they were there for 350 years), it was clear that he is challenged qua logic, has trouble understanding the need for real evidence and is about creating urban myths and sometimes the creation if buzzwords. This story like all his other, confirms it again. Peter.

DD asks: So are you saying these words do not exist?
Readers puzzled by the reference in this comment should go here to read the speculative column referred to.

by Peter Bruno on March 22, 2009 at 11:22 AM

If this ever officially includes phrases, then I'd like to see/hear "down to the wire" rolled out the door.

by Ian on March 22, 2009 at 11:29 AM

unprecedented - from the weather, to the economy, to fall in sales, to people's attitudes or behaviour - it should mean not happened before but of course all these things have happened before and will happen again

by linda on March 22, 2009 at 11:54 AM

Pete, speaking of padding, I was interested to hear the newsreader on SBS use the phrase 'possibly imminent', I mean come on, it either is or it isn't. SBS, charting the infinitesimal territory between the likely, the almost nearly likely and the maybe certain.

by Stephan Gyory on March 22, 2009 at 12:27 PM

I cannot stand 'going forward' - used obsessively in financial circles and now in politics. 'Perfect storm' gives me the hives, so too 'meltdown'; 'on the back of...'; ' In saying that...', 'heads-up' (as a noun); 'word on the street...'; 'gaining traction' and that old chestnut, 'At the end of the day'.

by Gazman on March 22, 2009 at 12:44 PM

Unintelligent, overenthusiastic and vacuous people (usually found on pointless home improvement TV shows) who think everything from a up of instant coffee to a tacky garden ornament is............AWESOME! hurrr

by Nicholas Jones on March 22, 2009 at 01:46 PM

Epicentre - when not applied to an earthquake, e.g. the epicentre of some dodgy building company's financial collapse. An epicentre a geological related to earthquakes, not financial markets nor social problems.
Awash - especially when applied to a situation where whatever we are apparently awash in is in fact in decline.
Tsunami - FFS, we are not drowning in a tsunami of bad credit! And while I'm at it, a tsunami is not a tidal wave.
Catastrophe - we do have these, and Black Saturday was one, but some idiot sportsman messing up again is not a catastrophe, nor is some greedy corporation going broke and taking with it the hopes and dreams of some greedy investors looking for above-the-odds returns.
Honestly, we seem to be awash in these buzzwords brought to us by the global financial tsunami, a vast tidal wave cascading upon us with catastrophic force emanating from its epicentre in the investment capital.
Barely subtle enough to be concerned with nuances, I'd reckon.

by rosko on March 22, 2009 at 03:21 PM

Unfortunately I get the impression that we will be hearing the words "Fielding" and "Xenophon" alot this year. They are "jeopardising our/Australia's future" by opposing Kev's "balanced solutions", creating a shitstorm and hence stopping us from "going forward".

by alex on March 22, 2009 at 04:30 PM

A lot of these buzzwords are just a fancy way of saying "ummm". In the distant past when you didn't quite know what you were going to say in the next sentence you said "umm". Now when you don't know what you are going say in the next sentence, your previous sentence ends with "going forward".
Its funny how that if the CEO of your company starts saying a particular buzzword, how quickly those who think of themselves as "upwardly mobile" start using the same word in conversations. Just how quickly they use the word generally gives a good indication of "upwardly mobile" they think they are.

by PeterD on March 22, 2009 at 04:39 PM

Surely it's not a word but a sentiment "the nation grieves", alternatively, "the nation mourns". If Kevin tells me I'm in collective mourning one more time ... We've all done quite a bit of it this year apparently. I'm sorry, call me practical but I'm thinking people directly affected by things might be doing this, the rest of us are just a little upset for them and happy to donate money.

by Sunshine on March 22, 2009 at 05:25 PM

My pet hate is the use of the word "concerning" as in "this issue is concerning" in place of "I am concerned about this issue" or "this issue is of great concern to me". Creeps into news soundbites on an almost daily basis.

by fredonas on March 22, 2009 at 06:01 PM

And Hall of Fame noms must go to that onanistic windbag Kim Beazley for his tireless use of "resile" at any and all press conferences, doorstops and interviews when Labor Party leader. Worse, other parliamentarians started using it too in a remarkable feat of pseudo-pseudo-intellectualism :)

by fredonas on March 22, 2009 at 06:10 PM

Not one word, but a much abused phrase that is doing the rounds again (thanks to the GFC) is "return on risk".
Why much abused? Because rarely can the person using it actually define the return or the risk in the proposal they are putting forward.
It is back in favour because nobody wants to propose anything today (or "going forward") without adequately covering their a$$ - to suggest something that would make money leaves one exposed to the ridicule of ones colleagues, who will happily raise issues such as "capital constraints", "black swans", "repricing of risk" to mock said proposal.
EQ

by David on March 22, 2009 at 07:06 PM

My personal all time despised favorite is "source"....been around for a while, but its endless, and increasing, use reminds one of the repetitive and tiresome drivel of those greatest hits and memories style radio stations..
You never look, find, locate, search anymore..you just source some best practice, moving forward, babble and bollocks speak.
Time to source a cold beer I think.

by David Phillips on March 22, 2009 at 07:09 PM

In Canberra the word of the year is 'SPACE'. As in 'I work in the procurement space' or 'I want to see developments in the cost space' or 'you will all need to be on board in the change space'. Going forward is annoying, but its a few years old in the public service space.
I think it means 'area'. But I guess bigger and therefore more important

by ctd on March 22, 2009 at 07:10 PM

What about "tanked"? (as in shares, my retirement plans) and "get tanked" (as in recycled water, too much to drink - see "tanked" above).

by Karen Buonamano on March 22, 2009 at 08:15 PM

Sorry but what does naunce actually MEAN again?

DD replies: I have no idea what naunce means, but the meaning of nuance was explained in the first column, which appears at the end of this week's column (scroll up from this comment).

by Alexandra on March 23, 2009 at 03:15 PM

The Sun-Herald

Who We Are

WHO WE ARE: Going forward, lets iterate our nuances

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