English Vocabulary Builder: Learn 9 BUZZWORDS

Hello. I'm Gill at engVid; and today, we have a lesson on buzzwords. Okay? So,

this word in itself, I suppose, is a buzzword. So, what is a "buzzword"? It's

a word that's become very popular, and people use it a lot. It's like a

fashion, in a new way of saying something; new vocabulary. Okay? So, a

"buzzword" or a phrase. And some people criticize them because they think

they're overused; they're used too much. And when words get overused, people tend

to lose touch with what the word actually means. They kind of use the

word, not really knowing the original meaning of it, because it just seems

convenient. So... and it's a word they hear other people use, so they copy

without maybe knowing exactly what it means. So, if it's overused... another

word for that is a "cliché" — when a word is used so much, it almost loses

its meaning. And also "jargon"— meaning a kind of specialised vocabulary that

might be used in a particular profession, or in a particular group of

people that it... only they really know what it means. People outside that

organization or that group of people don't know what it means; it's a sort of

specialised vocabulary for... the "jargon". So, we have a few examples

here, then, of present-day buzzwords — some are very new; some have been around

for a while, but they're still popular. Okay. I think buzzwords, sometimes they

have quite a long life; and other buzzwords — they're used for a year or

two, perhaps, and then they just... they might disappear again. But these are

currently used quite a lot. So, let's have a look.

So, a fairly recent one is the "new normal". And that's especially relating

to COVID-19, and the way that we've all had to behave differently because of

COVID. And at first, of course, it didn't feel normal at all. It wasn't

normal to... to stay... stay at home and not go out, and not go to work; not

travel on the train or the bus. So... but people had to get used to that.

Although it wasn't normal for them, people had to get used to it. And as

time went on, people did get used to it, and they started calling it the "new

normal", and sort of getting into them... into our minds that: "Oh, this

is normal now", because we've been doing it for quite some time, so it becomes

normal. But it's a new situation, so it's the "new normal". And as I often

say, these phrases — you often get the same consonant sound. "New normal" — a

sort of sound pattern. I think a phrase will probably stay in use a lot longer

if it has a kind of sound pattern in it because it sounds good. "New normal"

like that. Okay. So, next one: "synergy". This one's been around for

quite a long time; I would say quite a number of years, and it really just

means working together. People working together. Maybe different groups or

different companies getting together, and putting their resources together.

And the idea is that if two or three people, or two or three organizations

work together — they produce a lot more in combination than they would ever do

separately. So, it's a kind of special combination that produces something

special. Okay. So, "synergy". And I always think it sounds a bit like

"energy". It's got the same ending as "energy", and it sounds quite dynamic;

full of energy — that sort of idea. Something special. So, an example of

"synergy" in a sentence — you might say: Oh, three... three organizations, maybe

three charities, who all had a similar kind of purpose may be helping people

in... in an area where there had been a disaster; an emergency charity. And you

may have three different emergency charities who... who do that kind of

work. And if they get together and say: "We can work together on this. We could

achieve a good synergy if we put our resources together, and we can help more

people, and we can share our skills." So, that... that would be an example,

there — "to achieve a good synergy by working together". Okay. That's the way

it would be used. Okay. And then, just going back to the "new normal", you

would say: "Oh, this... the pandemic — we've had to get used to the new normal,

with a different way of living". So, "getting used to the new normal", or

"this is now our new normal". So, that's how you would say it in a sentence.

Okay. Right.

So, let's move on to this next one: "Unprecedented". So, people are quite

fond of using this. If there's a new event that happens, with things like

climate change... I remember a few years ago there was flooding in the UK in

certain areas, and the flooding seemed to be... the water level seemed to be

higher than it had ever been before. So, people were saying: "This is

So, the next one: "to think outside the box" is thought to be a good thing to

unprecedented. This has never happened. We've had flooding before, but it's

never been as high as this." So, you know... "This flooding, it's so high;

it's unprecedented". But then, on one news item, I remember — I think people's

memories were not so good, and they were saying: "It was unprecedented", meaning

it had never happened before, or the water level had never been that high

do. In the past, it was also — and probably still is — described as

before. But then somebody said: "Ah, yes. But a few years ago, the same thing

happened. Haven't you...? Don't you remember? It was bad like this a few

years ago, and nobody did anything about it afterwards to try to stop it

happening again." So, they said: "It's actually precedented; not

unprecedented." But that was a bit funny because the word "unprecedented" is

"lateral thinking", which means thinking sideways. Thinking to the side; not just

used, but people don't tend to use the... the positive — "precedented" for

some reason. They only use "unprecedented" — the negative one,

where it's never happened before. And sometimes, as I say, it can be misused.

If it's a really dramatic situation, people use the word "unprecedented" as

if that's how you describe these situations, without thinking: "It

actually means it's never happened like this before", and that may not be true.

thinking in one place all the time, but to allow your thoughts to go further in

So, okay. Right. So, the next one: "to unpack something". So, this is really a

metaphor that comes from... if you think of a suitcase full of clothes — maybe

you've gone on holiday and you go into your hotel room — and you want to put

your clothes away, so you open your suitcase and you "unpack it". You take

all the things out, and you put them in the wardrobe, in the drawers; you put

different directions. So, that's... also, if you think of a box around your

your toothbrush in the... in the bathroom — things like that. Take each

item out. But "to unpack" — this comes as a metaphor, when... and I remember

this word being used, oh, many years ago, so it's been around for quite a

while. So, it's obviously a useful one — the fact it's still being used. If you

have quite a complicated situation; maybe something... a theory; a

head, but then you try to think further outside that box. So, it's a kind of

philosophical theory or something academic of... and... of some sort. And

it's quite complicated, and there are different aspects to it. And you need to

look at each separate aspect; and look at this part, and then that part, and

then another part — rather than trying to deal with it all in one go. And so,

somebody might say: "Well, this... this theory, it's quite complicated. There's

creative thinking, you know... not to think too narrowly, but to think

a lot of detail in it. We need to unpack it to be able to understand it fully."

So, to look at each part of it and understand the separate parts. So,

that's "to unpack something". Okay. Right.

creatively. If you're trying to solve a problem at work, for example, and you've

tried all sorts of things, but it's all a little bit conventional. So, somebody

might say: "We need to think outside the box with this. Let's be a bit more

imaginative and creative. We might find a better solution, then." Okay. So,

that's that one. Right. This one: "to reach out" — I think I've only heard

So, then this one... I don't like this one very much because, originally, it...

it means a polite visit. Maybe if you've moved house and you're in a new area,

and you haven't met your neighbours yet, you might just go and knock on their

door, and say: "Oh, hello. We've just moved in next door. My name's" whatever.

this used maybe in the past few years. I don't know if it's perhaps more

So... and introducing yourself, just to say hello, so that they know who you are

and that you're their new neighbour. So, that would be a proper "courtesy call" —

you're calling on the new neighbour out of courtesy; out of politeness. But —

there's an "or" to this or a "but" — I sometimes get a phone call, which is a

American, and then it's gradually come here to the UK, and... and it's sort of

sales call, really, but the way they begin it, they say: "Oh, hello. This is

just a courtesy call", and my heart sinks — there's another metaphor. If

your "heart sinks", you think: "Oh, no" because I know what a "courtesy call"

means if it's just a phone call that I'm not expecting. It means a sales call,

but they don't want to call it a "sales call" because they... they think they

spreading now a bit more. But "to reach out" really just means to make contact.

can trick you into, you know... thinking: "Oh, that's nice. Courtesy

call. How nice" and, you know... "to give me a call and say hello". But you

soon find out, as they start talking, that they're wanting to sell you

something. So, I think it's a very dishonest phrase to use, if it's a sales

call, and it puts me off immediately. They're not going to get anywhere with

Okay. But to me, it sounds quite sort of human, you know... "to reach out" means

me if they call it... if they're making a sales call, and they're calling it a

"courtesy call" — they've lost already. So... as far as I'm concerned. So, there

we are.

Okay, next one: "to go viral" — I think we've... this has been around for quite

a few years. It's a bit like... well, it comes from the same idea of a virus; a

disease that spreads. So, "viral" in a literal sense is to do with virology —

to do this with your hand and with your arm; to reach out to somebody in a

the... the study of viruses; the scientific study of viruses and how they

spread. But this is a kind of spreading metaphorically on the internet. So, if

somebody posts a photograph, maybe of a dog doing something funny, like dancing

— a dancing dog or something, and it's really cute, and everybody loves it, and

literal sense. So, it sounds friendly; and I think it's meant to sound

they keep sharing it, and then the other people share it, and it just multiplies

around the internet — millions and millions of people see it — that picture

has "gone viral". Okay. So, because of the internet and technology — the way it

works, I think this... this phrase is with us, you know... for quite some time

now. I don't see, unless it's replaced by some other term... But it's quite a

friendly, really. It's nicer to say in an email: "Thanks for reaching out",

useful one, though. It's... means what it says, really. Okay. And then another

internet one: "to unmute" from video conferencing. I don't think I'd heard

this word until... well, when I first started using Zoom for video

conferencing early in the first lockdown; in early 2020. And you're

rather than: "Thanks for making contact". You know... this is a bit

muted, and then you have to "unmute" to be able to speak. And then people forget

to unmute, and you can just see their mouth moving, but you can't hear

anything — that usually happens. I've done it myself quite recently, so it's

easy to forget. So, "unmute". And people say: "Oh, you need to unmute." So:

cold; compared with this sort of warmer, more human "reaching out" — more

"Remember to unmute before you speak" is how you would use it. So, there we are.

So, I hope that's an interesting run through of some typical buzzwords and

phrases that are being used at the present moment. So, if you'd like to do

a quiz on this topic, just go to the website: www.engvid.com, and test your

knowledge. Thanks very much for watching, and hope to see you again

friendly. Okay.

soon. Bye for now.