Abstract
Proficient communicators in America's Fortune 1000 were surveyed to discover whether their attitudes toward business slang expressions, or "buzzwords," were as negative as the attitudes generally encountered in academics and journalists. Afew respondents disliked the buzzwords, but an unexpectedly large number of respondents expressed tolerant attitudes toward these terms so frequently labeled as nonwords by academics. Though they vary widely in kind and quality, business slang expressions are widely used, can sometimes be precise and expressive, and can sometimes add conciseness and comfort to everyday, informal business communications. (The author does not recommend large-scale adoptions of buzzwords, attempt to debase the English language, or encourage any other foul linguistic crime.)
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