BUZZWORD COMPLIANT DICTIONARY
G

gathering string: The act of collecting seemingly unconnected facts, figures and data that eventually support a thesis. "Right now, I'm just gathering string. We'll see where it takes us later."
Nominated by Richard Curtis

gatored: You've been gatored when you're visiting one Web site and find yourself being hijacked and whisked to a competitor's site. Named for a plug-in from Gator.com that does the dirty work. Also known as hijackware.
Nominated by Mark Worden

geek: Prior to 1990, geeks were nerds and could be identified by their pocket protectors. Today they can be identified by the number of stock options they have.

geek handshake: The process of introducing yourself to someone else by text messaging your business card info, even though he or she may only be 10 feet away.
Nominated by Tom McCool

Generation C: Describes the growing group of consumers that is obsessed with generating their own “content” – expressing creative urges by snapping photos with camera phones, producing movies on home computers for general distribution or running personal blogs. Of course, just because the masses “can” still doesn’t make it “art.”

Generation D: Unlike Generations X and Y, Generation D(igital) is not determined by age. It’s the group of people who are completely at ease with the digital revolution, whether they’re 8 or 80.

Generation O: Move aside Gen Xers! The O stands for obesity since the latest generation of kids are the fattest in history.
Nominated by Fritz Liess

genericize: To make generic. "We need to genericize this training videotape."
Nominated by Marguerite Savard

ghost work: Following a layoff, it's the workload absorbed by the surviving staff – generally with little notice or proper training.
Nominated by Mark Schlepphorst

GIGO: Acronym for Garbage In, Garbage Out. If you input bad data into a computer (or your brain), what comes out will be worthless, too.
Nominated by David Askren

Giuliani-esque: Grace and strength under pressure. A term coined by CBS anchor Dan Rather after watching the extraordinary performance of New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Nominated by Eileen Blass

Global 3500: A term bandied about as if it were an official organization. "We're a Global 3500 company." Defined by Forrester Research as the largest 3,500 companies in the world with at least $1 billion in annual revenue. Formerly the Global 2000.
Nominated by Michael Zuckerman

global responsibilities: Once upon a time it meant you had responsibility for operations, projects or people scattered around the world. Now every team leader has "global responsibilities" -- even when his or her three-person staff sits next to each other in the same room.

globesity: Worldwide obesity. While Americans are still kings of obesity, we’ve exported enough junk food that the rest of the world appears to be catching up.
Nominated by Steve Hannaford

glocalize: It's the "positive" side of globalization. The ability of a culture or country to absorb enriching influences of other cultures without being overwhelmed. Apparently coined by author Thomas Friedman.
Nominated by Mark Worden

GNU: This one's a bit confusing. GNU is a free computer operating system designed to be like the Unix operating system without being Unix. Adding to the confusion, it's name is a recursive acronym: GNU's Not Unix. Those techies really have a sense of humor.

going forward: A favorite and overused phrase of business execs that's generally used to put bad news in the past and good news in the future. "Downsizing was necessary. Going forward, we are positioned to take advantage of changing market conditions."
Nominated by Mark Feldbauer

golden bungee: A lucrative executive severance package that not only pays the executive to step down from his or her current position, but then pays them to continue with the company in another role.

Goldilocks Economy: When the economy isn't too hot to cause
inflation or too cold to cause a recession. It's just right.

golfmail: The result of forwarding your office phone, e-mail, etc., to your wireless phone, allowing you to play 18 holes while maintaining the illusion for customers (and the boss) that you're at your desk.
Nominated by Gavin Wilson

Google share: The amount of real estate one gets on the first page of a Google search. "If we name our site 'harvest', we won't get enough Google share."
Nominated by Dror Eyal

googling, to google: The process of using a search engine to uncover what you can about your new girlfriend or boyfriend. Named after the Google (www.google.com) search engine. "I’ll have to google her before things get too serious."
Nominated by Scott Dittman

Google stalk: The act of using Google to research a potential boyfriend or girlfriend with the hope of obtaining information as to his or her interests.
Nominated by Nicole Sherrod

googleplexity: What appears to be a simple project becomes more complex after closer examination – requiring enormous resources, time and patience to complete. "It's a googleplexity."
Nominated by Christopher Uren

Googlephobia: The fear that Google is taking over everything and threatening to become the next Microsoft.

Google politics: To make a thousand accusations -- none of which are substantiated.
Nominated by Peter Vogel

googleproof: One of the few benefits of sharing a name with a celebrity. It's virtually impossible for anyone to "google" or find out about you using an Internet search engine. You're googleproof.
Nominated by "the other" Chris Rock

googlewash: An effort by bloggers to change the meaning of a new word, term or phrase by peppering their Web logs with an alternate meaning. Result: A search using Google will turn up thousands of pages with the altered definition, while the pages carrying the original and intended usage get buried.
Nominated by Mark Worden

Googlewhack: The result of Googlewhacking, a game invented by search-obsessed fans of Google.com. Object: Type two words into the Google search line with the hope of getting a single search result. If you see "Results 1-1 of 1," you're a winner (and clearly have too much time on your hands).
Nominated by Mark Worden

gosee: An appointment with a potential client on a one-to-one basis. Singular: I have a gosee at noon. Plural: I have three gosees today.
Nominated by John Pilge

granularity, granular: Sand and sugar are granular. But when business execs get down to the nitty-gritty, they’re dealing in the granularity. It’s the finite details or specific fine points of a proposal or deal.
Nominated by Dave Worthen

graphical user interface: If your computer has cute little icons and 16 million colors, you’re looking at a graphical user interface.

grayed-out: Excluded or denied. Taken from software where some icons are "grayed-out" and can only be used by authorized personnel with the correct password. In real life, a person has been "grayed-out" if he or she has been excluded from a meeting, project, conversation, etc.
Nominated by Ann Good

greenwash: The process of touting the environmental benefits of a product or policy in order to deflect attention from other less savory aspects.
Nominated by Jim Mauro

grid rage: The total frustration that comes from being unable to complete the New York Times Saturday (or Sunday) crossword puzzle. Mug, shirts available
Nominated by Gene Newman

gridmaster: To plan in obsessive detail and assign a moment-by-moment timeline for a project’s development. "James gridmastered the software project right up to its release date."
Nominated by Jutta Gardiner

gription: Traction.
Nominated by Jennifer Discoll

Groundhog Day: When a company's management ignores obvious problems allowing them to resurface on a daily basis. Named for the Bill Murray movie of the same name.
Nominated by Bob Cloutier

group think: A group dynamic that discourages critical thinking in the decision-making process and encourages conformity to existing beliefs. Example: The Congress's report accused the CIA of group think in its analysis of pre-war intelligence.

growing the business: In farm country, it means you first add fertilizer, then water liberally. In the rest of the business world, it apparently means increasing revenue or expanding your operations.

guestimate: To make a projection based on assumptions (or gut feeling) -- not necessarily facts.
Nominated by Mike Gilmer

gui: Don’t bother learning this one. But if you insist, look up "graphical user interface."