There's nothing quite like work jargon, but we can't blame it all on U.S. business. It seems to be a global phenomenon, as the recent compilation of 50 phrases you love to hate in the BBC news attests. And be sure to play along with the Boss Speak Bingo Card (PDF). There aren't any prizes beyond the satisfaction of "gotcha" and you may want to keep that to yourself. The BBC seems to be on a quest to rid the world of the phrase going forward, which really seems to get under their skin.

If you want to keep your ear to the ground for new jargon, you might try MBA Jargon Watch. Most of the phrases in the list sound painfully familiar, but there are a few new fingernails-on-the-blackboard contenders, such as "eat your own dogfood" and "boil the ocean." Ouch, my ears! When it comes to office speak, I think we need to leapfrog into a paradigm shift - can I get any buy-in on that?