Want to play that game where I say something, and you have to tell me where we are? 

It's easy, I promise. Here we go.

"...items may have shifted during flight." 

Where could we be? Only one possible answer, right? On a plane!

Okay, now, who's talking? The flight attendant! Of course! 

You can probably even tell me that he/she is making an announcement, to all passengers, over the loud speaker. 

How is it that you can quickly situate this short fragment of a sentence in place and time?

Ah, the magic of "jargon." Whether you feel "jargon" has a negative connotation, or whether it's simply defined as "lingo" familiar to a group or organization, such as a business or profession, you need to only take one flight or see one TV sit com filmed on an airplane, and you recognize this familiar warning to passengers. You can likely also rattle off a few more. Give it a try! Why not!?

(What did you come up with? How about, "I will walk around to collect any 'service items.'" Who says that? 'Service items?' Really?)

So, why do we care about jargon? What "work" does it do? 

If you are a flight attendant, you are part of the airline's culture, and perhaps certain expressions are tailor-made to suit the job. If you are a passenger, you may find it part of the experience of flying to hear this kind of "jargon." Just as you may expect a gondolier to sing to you when you travel to Venice. Of course, you also may find it irksome. For sure, jargon is the butt of many jokes - whether you are in the organization (and proficient in the jargon) or not.

My first semester in graduate school (in a linguistics program), I tackled a research problem that had fascinated me for years. I was interested in finding out what my coworkers attitudes were toward the "jargon" at work, and, more importantly, I wanted to know (as a young professional with some serious ambition!) whether mastering "jargon" (and using it A LOT) was somehow conflated with exuding executive presence.

I needed data...I surveyed over 100 coworkers about "our lingo." The high (over 80%) participation rate in the survey signaled just how exciting this topic was (and is) at work! In trying to gauge *attitudes* toward jargon, I asked participants to indicate whether the jargon they hear/see is used mostly by themselves or others. The answer, OTHERS. My sampling was a group of people from my own social network at work. Otherwise, it was a mixed group by level, team, and tenure. I wondered if somehow *I* attracted people who decidedly did not use jargon. Was I work friends with a bunch of purists?! How could it be? Or, did they not want to admit to it?! 

We certainly are not going to resolve this in one blog post. But I do invite you, in the spirit of smooth communications and building awareness of your own communication style...to take note of your own expressions. Is there any work jargon that you use with customers? Or outside of work settings? If so, what's the impact on others? Misunderstandings? A little levity? Or do they "get it" and feel included and cozy for understanding it? Or do you, with one small phrase or expression, set yourself apart...and push them out?

Everyone expresses politeness in their own way. We do it everyday in conversation. Phrases like "please" and "thank you" can certainly lubricate the social experience, but there are endless ways to layer any conversation with politeness, and we can get quite creative depending on the type of conversation, who we are talking to, how we we know each other, power dynamics, etc.

Lately, I've been hearing a lot of, "actually," followed by, "you're wrong..."

A couple examples:

Sonia: Excuse me, is this the way to the library?
Helpful student: Actually, you need to take the next street.

or

Sonia: Can I return this at any time, if I save the receipt?
Salesperson: Actually, that's a final sale item.

I am now looking out for "actually" as a gentle word that *points* to the correction, or the phrase that sets the record straight. For a little word, it does a lot of work. It softens the blow (to come), e.g., the "you're wrong," and helps you prepare to "hear" what's next, e.g., the "correct" info that you have to hold onto. I wonder if it's the new "please" and "thank you?"

I love traveling for a lot of reasons, but in particular, leaving home and getting out of my daily routine teaches me so much about myself, and gives me time and space to reflect on what I take for granted as "normal."

After 15+ years in Washington, D.C., and regularly "swiping" my Metro card, I was surprised to "dip" it in Chicago. Not only do the official (posted) instructions advise train passengers to "dip" their cards, but a Station Manager reinforced the term when I asked him for help, as did this Chicago Tribune article.

To my delight, my opportunities to use the word "dip" have expanded! There's now more to "dip" than my toe in a swimming pool or a soft-serve ice cream cone into warm chocolate.

I wonder if there's a linguist doing field research in train stations across the U.S. -- preparing to design a "dip vs. swipe" map similar to this "pop vs. soda" map? (Or maybe "swipe" is a D.C. Metro thing?)

I've come to expect it as part of the script. Any mid-range or better restaurant in the U.S. coaches their servers to check in with customers after they take their first or second bite.

"How is everything for ya today?"

(Although I recently got, "Is everything tasting good for ya today?" To which, I wanted to reply, "Yes, my taste buds are functioning well for me today. Thank you for asking today.")

The thing is that I almost never tell the truth. Unless something is raw or rancid, I won't give real feedback. My canned answer (most of the time spoken with a full mouth and only fleeting eye contact) is, "Great, thanks."

I don't reveal, "This vinaigrette tastes bottled," or "You skimped on the shrimp," or whatever it is that I am actually thinking...and and whatever has already influenced my decision of whether or not I'll return for a future meal.

For restaurants, is the question simply a way to build the customer relationship? Small talk while facilitating drink refills?  I wonder what kind of data comes from this inquiry? Is there a missed opportunity here? Could changing the question help create a dialogue with customers? Help customers share what they are thinking about "how things are tasting." Help customers share precious info with their servers -- before they get home and post candid comments to Yelp? (As I do!)

I did a double take in Bed Bath & Beyond the other day. Baby - what? Bullet? Really? What do babies have to do with bullets? (I hope nothing!)

[For those of you who haven't seen it: This product is a mini food-processor. It's marketed to parents interested in pureeing wholesome food for their babies. Some research informed me of a related (parent!) product called the 'Magic Bullet.']

I got to wondering about the product name. Two options: 'Baby bullets' could either be small bullets (as in, smaller than the Magic Bullet) or bullets for babies. (It feels wrong even to type this!)

As I stepped back, I realized my angst is simply in placing the two words (baby+bullet) side by side. Ick! 'Bullet' makes me think guns, war, shooting, death. Certainly not homemade organic applesauce. What were the marketing folks thinking?

Of course, there's a good chance that the name doesn't bother anyone but me. (I should check out the product sales stats.) And there's a chance the product performs so well that new parents don't care what it's called. And, anyway, the packaging is very friendly. That smiley face won't shoot me. It couldn't possibly!