Jargon
Australia is one of the most multi-ethnic societies on earth. As a result, we are living in a kaleidoscope of different cultures and different languages. Among these is one which has always been around.
Ever since democratic politics emerged, and expanding rapidly in recent years, politicians have developed a distinctive language of their own: pollie-speak. This is especially evident among Ministers, but all politicians have learnt to use it.
It is an unusual language. Other languages have developed as a means for people to communicate with each other, with reasonable clarity. Pollie-speak, however, seems to be designed not to communicate but to obfuscate: to make communication unclear, unintelligible, or bewildering.
Continue reading "Moving forward, let me say this on working families…" »
Another arrival from the crowd that brought us this indecipherable press release, but this time the gobbledegook’s even worse.
SAP Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) today announced the availability of hosted offerings from its channel partners for midsize companies, providing a new delivery channel for SAP solutions for mid-size customers in ANZ.
SAP integration partner CIBER is the first ANZ partner to offer hosting as an alternative to the traditional on-premise deployment option. The hosted offerings allow midsize companies to implement and run SAP® Business All-in-One solutions without the need to hire and train dedicated IT staff to implement and manage the software. SAP Business All-in-One is comprehensive and flexible software for midsize companies with deep industry best practices built-in.
My eyes.
Over to you: translations please?
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Chris says:
From my experience, I can assume this was a release written by an SAP representative outside of Australia for global distribution, which was meant to be localised. However SAP Australia’s comms team and external PR agency have dismally failed to do this - instead just pasting ‘ANZ’ into several parts… Read more »
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Trolldoll says:
Basically it means that if you have a decent internet connection for your buisness, these people will store the information for you buisness and make sure it’s running so you don’t have to sully your hands with Geeks, BTW I am a Geek. So if you don’t mind running up… Read more »
This just landed in The Punch’s inbox. Can anyone explain what it means?
To meet a growing demand from companies of all sizes for software-as-a-service (SaaS) business intelligence (BI) tools that are easy to use, SAP Australia New Zealand today announced the local launch of the SAP® BusinessObjects™ BI OnDemand solution.
Targeted at casual BI users currently under-served by products on the market, the solution will deliver a complete BI toolset in one flexible offering. Leading local on-demand services and solutions provider Sqware Peg is the first local partner to offer customers the new solution, which will provide analytics capabilities for customers using core on-demand solutions.
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iansand says:
Whatever it is it is likely to dissolve, so be careful. All those solutions. Read more »
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Jenni says:
*like* good job Matt ... you’re not in advertising by any chance? Read more »
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd today said that the Government was moving with “the utmost urgent speed” to fix what might be “perceived as an unfortunate conceptual misalignment” regarding the issue of asylum seekers.

“Up until now we have described our policy as ‘tough but humane’, however from now on the correct designation will be ‘harsh but kind’,” Mr Rudd said.
The Prime Minister looked annoyed when a reporter suggested that perhaps a better alternative might be “sweet and sour”. “Let me say this, do I apologise for saying what I mean and meaning what I say? Not withstanding the various qualifications existent for meeting the dynamic fluidity of changing contingencies, no, I do not apologise, not in the slightest,” Mr Rudd said.
Continue reading "Unapologetically tough and unapologetically fair" »
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Finishbottle says:
Pass Alone,exist name inform man gain cost normal largely lot desire additional offence damage discussion responsible place painting including standard seat hang under settle growing earn separate liberal works attack hence show comparison discuss last mother employer criterion trade order emerge transport clearly image border great everybody much occur available… Read more »
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Not Rudd says:
Paul Keating said it best back in 2007 on Lateline when he said Rudd wouldn’t get out of bed in the morning until someone had done an opinion poll to find out which side was the most popular to get out on. Read more »
I admit it: I’m in danger of being a language bore.

I’m that guy who, when you say you’re ‘honing in’ on something, asks derisively if you’ve ever heard of a honing pigeon or a honing missile.
If you call me a ‘font of information’, I’m liable to take offence on the grounds that a font is a shallow bowl used for church christenings, and I’d rather be a fount, thank you.
Continue reading "Some key learnings about the debasement of language" »
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Jose Imenez says:
Confusing good writing with good thinking. Awk! No. not the Great Auk, but the Awk! of exasperation. Correct writing arrives from correct thinking, neither of which has been taught since Rockefeller tampered with education as noted in the book, “The Leipzig Connection” by Paolo Lioni. Liz claimed “Language… Read more »
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Darryl Price says:
Worse than “learnings” in place of “lessons”, the past 5-6 years has seen “pedagogy” - the art of being a teacher - and its various forms used to describe almost anything to do with schooling. Why not just keep it simple. Also - “way, shape or form” - a Ruddworthy… Read more »
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marley says:
I'm one of the older ones, so I've certainly seen a few changes in my time. When I started school I learned to write with a nib pen, dipped in an inkwell (no, I'm not kidding). My mother became a dab hand at getting inkstains out of my clothes. Flicking ink at one another in the classroom was an essential… [read more]From: I’d rather have a piece of toast than listen to crap lyrics
Erick says:
Led Zeppelin are responsible for my all-time favourite mixed metaphor: "There you sit, sit and stare, like a book on a shelf rusting." (Misty Mountain Hop) I laugh every time I hear it. Hmmm, I believe I've decided what to play on the way to work today. [read more]Gentle jabs to the ribs
No wuckin forries. These nuckin futs are tuckin fops
Well, puck me with a fitchfork. The F-word is apparently an acceptable part of Australian speech. That’s… Read more
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