Buzzword bingo
Encyclopedia
Buzzword bingo is a bingo-style game where participants prepare bingo cards with buzzwords and tick them off when they are uttered during an event, such as a meeting or speech. The goal of the game is to tick off a predetermined number of words in a row and then yell "Bingo!"
An important element of the game is having the courage to actually yell "Bingo!". In order to avoid the reprimands that would likely result from doing so, participants may resort to looking at one another and silently mouthing the word "Bingo". An alternate variation requires the person who has achieved bingo to raise his or her hand and use the word "Bingo" within the context of a comment or question.
An example of a small Buzzword Bingo card:
Principal Scientist Tom Davis, in collaboration with Seth Katz. The concept was popularized by a Dilbert
comic strip in 1994, in which the characters play during an office meeting.
One documented example occurred when Al Gore
, then the Vice President of the United States
, known for his liberal use of buzzwords hyping technology, spoke at MIT
's 1996 graduation. Hackers
had distributed bingo cards containing buzzwords to the graduating class.
In 2007, IBM created a commercial centered around the concept of buzzword bingo.
Concept
Buzzword bingo is generally played in situations where audience members feel that the speaker, in an effort to mask a lack of actual knowledge, is just spouting off a bunch of buzzwords rather than providing information or ideas of actual value. Business meetings led by guest speakers or notable company personalities from higher up the pay scale are often viewed as a good opportunity, as the language used by these speakers often includes predictable references to arcane business concepts, which are perfect for use in the creation of buzzword bingo cards.An important element of the game is having the courage to actually yell "Bingo!". In order to avoid the reprimands that would likely result from doing so, participants may resort to looking at one another and silently mouthing the word "Bingo". An alternate variation requires the person who has achieved bingo to raise his or her hand and use the word "Bingo" within the context of a comment or question.
An example of a small Buzzword Bingo card:
| user-centric | clinical governance Clinical governance Clinical governance is the term used to describe a systematic approach to maintaining and improving the quality of patient care within a health system. The term became widely used in health care following the Bristol heart scandal in 1995, during which anaesthetist Dr Stephen Bolsin exposed the... |
scalable |
| strategise | pipeline | milestone |
| facilitate | bandwidth | benchmark |
Creation and popularization
Buzzword Bingo has been invented and reinvented many times. The first person to have invented the game was probably Peter Calver, then a schoolboy in Brentwood, England - he created it in 1964 as a way of enlivening classes in Classical Greek. Three decades later, in 1993, it was reinvented by Silicon GraphicsSilicon Graphics
Silicon Graphics, Inc. was a manufacturer of high-performance computing solutions, including computer hardware and software, founded in 1981 by Jim Clark...
Principal Scientist Tom Davis, in collaboration with Seth Katz. The concept was popularized by a Dilbert
Dilbert
Dilbert is an American comic strip written and drawn by Scott Adams. First published on April 16, 1989, Dilbert is known for its satirical office humor about a white-collar, micromanaged office featuring the engineer Dilbert as the title character...
comic strip in 1994, in which the characters play during an office meeting.
One documented example occurred when Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
, then the Vice President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
, known for his liberal use of buzzwords hyping technology, spoke at MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
's 1996 graduation. Hackers
MIT hack
Hacks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are practical jokes and pranks meant to prominently demonstrate technical aptitude and cleverness, or to commemorate popular culture and historical topics. The pranks are anonymously installed at night by hackers, usually, but not exclusively...
had distributed bingo cards containing buzzwords to the graduating class.
In 2007, IBM created a commercial centered around the concept of buzzword bingo.