# Phrases or words in your field that make it obvious speaker has no idea **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 15, 2005, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-in-your-field-that-make-it-obvious-speaker-has-no-idea/299530 "2005-04-15T19:11:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2005, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-in-your-field-that-make-it-obvious-speaker-has-no-idea/299530/61 "2005-04-18T17:19:43Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > Do reporters in trenchcoats and fedoras still run in and shout “Hold the front page! I’ve got a story that will crack this city wide open!” Only the ones who say that “Dames” have great “Gams.” ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2005, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-in-your-field-that-make-it-obvious-speaker-has-no-idea/299530/62 "2005-04-18T18:29:01Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > People who either claim they know–or want me to hire someone they represent who knows-- “Visual Basics” That reminds me of a guy who used to work be in charge of Customer Support at the (now defunct) 3DO company, who referred to AOL as “American Online”. ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-in-your-field-that-make-it-obvious-speaker-has-no-idea/299530/63 "2005-04-19T06:54:44Z")
People who say “symbiosis” when they really mean “mutualism.” ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-in-your-field-that-make-it-obvious-speaker-has-no-idea/299530/64 "2005-04-21T15:24:34Z")
> [@zagloba](#): > > Ugh! Don’t get me started on the HR pattern matching! Minor hijack: What is HR pattern matching? ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-in-your-field-that-make-it-obvious-speaker-has-no-idea/299530/65 "2005-04-21T16:50:10Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > Minor hijack: What is HR pattern matching? When the HR department gets your resume and scans it into their database, so that they can search for specific words or phrases that match what they are looking for. In **TimeWinder** ’s post above the resume said “C++”, but the computer was looking for “Visual C++”, so no match. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-in-your-field-that-make-it-obvious-speaker-has-no-idea/299530/66 "2005-04-21T17:16:07Z")
**Napier** writes: > [@](#): > > “Degrees Kelvin” instead of Kelvins. Not where I’m from. I’ve been associated with four universities and visited a great many more, and I’ve always heard “degrees Kelvin”. I’ve _never_ heard “Kelvins”. If I ever _did_ hear someone refer to “Kelvins” I’d ask the speaker who won the last world series, and eventually I’d turn up the Centaurian spy in our midst. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-in-your-field-that-make-it-obvious-speaker-has-no-idea/299530/67 "2005-04-21T17:18:27Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > I heard once on the Oprah show, a profiler who tried to explain why the murderer had dressed his victim up to look like a deer, after a sheriiff had said the victim was [_dressed like a deer_.](http://www.ncdeer.com/nc_dressing_skinning.html) :wally Why am I put in mind of that cartoon where Bugs Bunny is told by the chef to “dress the (live) chickens for dinner”? Later, Bugs has the chickens dressed out in tuxedos. Sheesh, I wonder if it was ever explained to her, and how much she blushed if so? She should familarize herself with terms law enforcement/military people are likely to use, including hunter’s terms. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-in-your-field-that-make-it-obvious-speaker-has-no-idea/299530/68 "2005-04-21T17:26:58Z")
Just about everybody I ever heard bitching about tenured teachers had no idea what the word “tenure” means in that context. They all seem to believe that tenured teachers cannot be fired. ---
**Author:** ![Dob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Dob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dob)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-in-your-field-that-make-it-obvious-speaker-has-no-idea/299530/69 "2005-04-21T17:43:03Z")
So im a programmer, my family and friends all know this and so they insist on telling me everything about any new computer product they buy. Yea, I know, programming doesnt mean your a computer specialist! But they always fail to see that distinction. So a few weekends ago im at a family gathering for a bridal shower. A cousin of mine comes up and starts telling me about this great new graphics card he bought. Hes going on about the memory, colors, rendering, shading, lighting etc…all these cool stats about the card. So I ask “PCI, AGP, or the new super PCI card”? He stares at me a for a second and says “its not external, its sits on the inside”. I about pissed myself I laughed so hard. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-in-your-field-that-make-it-obvious-speaker-has-no-idea/299530/70 "2005-04-21T18:05:24Z")
> [@GraphicsGal](#): > > People who are diagnosed with schizophrenia often have audiory and/or visual halucinations. People with MPD do not. If you were asked this question and knew the difference between schizophrenia and MPD, you would not have misidentified one for the other. > > \ > > i don’t know if that answers your question, but I hope it helps. I don’t think it did, actually. I know the difference between schizophrenia and MPD, but **Shabadu’s** question (“How can you tell if someone is having auditory or visual hallucinations?”) doesn’t seem to make sense in that light. It’s probably bad phrasing on one of our parts, but the question didn’t make sense to me. How can I tell he’s having hallucinations? Because he’s asking questions that certainly seem to indicate so. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-in-your-field-that-make-it-obvious-speaker-has-no-idea/299530/71 "2005-04-21T18:25:19Z")
“Can you type this in English for me?” Um, we’re not talking a change of font, here. It’s a little more complex than that. Also, those who have absurdly low expectations in terms of deadline and/or price. No, I won’t translate your 2,000-word document for tomorrow for $25. ---
**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-in-your-field-that-make-it-obvious-speaker-has-no-idea/299530/72 "2005-04-21T18:45:53Z")
I’m used to my clients using certain terms interchangeably, but if anyone who’s actually supposed to know anything about insurance uses the term “liability” inaccurately, my internal alarms go off. ---
**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-in-your-field-that-make-it-obvious-speaker-has-no-idea/299530/73 "2005-04-21T18:48:04Z")
I should clarify that by “my clients” I mean the general public, who usually don’t know much about insurance, which is fine. “Anyone who actually supposed to know anything about insurance” is defined as an underwriter or another insurance broker. And sadly, there’s way too many out there who don’t know even the basics. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-in-your-field-that-make-it-obvious-speaker-has-no-idea/299530/74 "2005-04-21T23:28:39Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Just about everybody I ever heard bitching about tenured teachers had no idea what the word “tenure” means in that context. They all seem to believe that tenured teachers cannot be fired. Dunno where you live, but I live in New York State. They cannot be fired. You wouldn’t **believe** the things that go on in public schools- that most of the public never hears about- that cannot be used to revoke tenure. My wife is a tenured teacher and a Union Rep in her building. I have a fair idea of what that word means, and at least around here, it’s a pretty strong "fuck you, pally ". You can skate by, barely doing a damned thing in terms of good solid teaching, using the same textbook for many years, shoving kids through who are failing, and giving them "Pass-Em-On " D’s…and enjoy that tenure all the way to retirement. Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-in-your-field-that-make-it-obvious-speaker-has-no-idea/299530/75 "2005-04-21T23:36:23Z")
Well, okay. Lemme modify that, this IS the Straight Dope. They can be fired but it takes a felony conviction- things of that ilk- to have a tenured teacher removed. ---
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-in-your-field-that-make-it-obvious-speaker-has-no-idea/299530/76 "2005-04-21T23:52:55Z")
> [@TV time](#): > > Or commenting that, “I bet this will stop the presses.” (Nothing stops the presses these days). [hijack] My brother, a graphic designer at a small daily newspaper, told me about a “stop the presses!” moment in his office a few weeks ago. A local story had gotten national coverage, and rumors were rampant around the county. Apparently a reporter wrote the lead story based on one of these rumors. My brother says 600 copies of the paper were printed before the higher-ups realized the error. I wish I could’ve been there to see if someone actually yelled “STOP THE PRESSES!” It would’ve been like being in a movie. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-in-your-field-that-make-it-obvious-speaker-has-no-idea/299530/77 "2005-04-21T23:55:22Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > Well, okay. Lemme modify that, this IS the Straight Dope. They can be fired but it takes a felony conviction- things of that ilk- to have a tenured teacher removed. In NJ, there are a few other things that can get a tenured public school teacher fired. (Private schools, as usual, have their own special rules.) One is any form of corporal punishment – hitting a student, for example, or making him write “I will not talk in class” 100 times. At least that’s what I was told a number of decades ago by the NJEA rep when I started teaching. There are other things, too, but there is a loooong due process involved. Anecdotal evidence: I was on my local school board for about 9 years. At the time I was first elected, there was an ongoing effort to fire a tenured high school teacher who was widely believed to show up at school intoxicated from time to time. The students referred to him as “The Lush.” He was perceived to be unsteady on his feet, have slurred speech, and to smell of alcohol. However, this evidence, if presented by administrators, was insufficient. For some reason, he could not be required to take a breathalyzer or other sobriety test. So the school administrators carefully observed every aspect of his professional performance, documenting any and all shortcomings, providing all kinds of opportunity, as required by law and contract, for him to improve. Eventually, he was fired for failing to prepare lesson plans. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-in-your-field-that-make-it-obvious-speaker-has-no-idea/299530/78 "2005-04-22T00:46:24Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > Dunno where you live, but I live in New York State. They cannot be fired. You wouldn’t **believe** the things that go on in public schools- that most of the public never hears about- that cannot be used to revoke tenure. > > My wife is a tenured teacher and a Union Rep in her building. I have a fair idea of what that word means, and at least around here, it’s a pretty strong "fuck you, pally ". You can skate by, barely doing a damned thing in terms of good solid teaching, using the same textbook for many years, shoving kids through who are failing, and giving them "Pass-Em-On " D’s…and enjoy that tenure all the way to retirement. > > Cartooniverse I suspect it means the same thing in NY that it means here: You cannot be fired w/o reason and w/o due process. Have your wife molest a kid and see how long she keeps her job. ---
**Author:** ![Lillith\_Fair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lillith\_Fair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lillith_Fair)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-in-your-field-that-make-it-obvious-speaker-has-no-idea/299530/79 "2005-04-22T01:29:56Z")
I’m an organist so I have to talk to brides to plan the music for their weddings. They pronounce the music or the composers wrong. Canon in D becomes Cannon in D. I try to get them to spell it right in the program by telling them it is not a big gun. Of course, this probably shows that I know very little about cannons or guns. To me all firearms are guns, including revolvers, pistols, rifles and shotguns. Well, this takes me further into a mess because I really don’t know what a firearm is. But I do know what a canon is, and it is not the same thing as a cannon. The “W” in Widor is pronounced like a V, not a W. The “ch” in Pachelbel sounds like “ck.” Once I played something in church that was English pre-Baroque, and the pastor told me it reminded her of Debussy. Huh? Not similar in any way whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2005, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-in-your-field-that-make-it-obvious-speaker-has-no-idea/299530/80 "2005-04-22T05:22:21Z")
**Cartooniverse** , you’ll appreciate this. Back when I worked for a cable network that was just starting up we had a hefty budget to equip the production and post depts. So naturally I suggested that we needed a Steadicam. To my utter joy they went for it. But during the Cinema Products demo the big boss decided he’d be slick and mentioned how we’d been looking at other companies’ Steadicams and they had much lower prices. :rolleyes: Back then Cinema Products still held the patent and there were no other Steadicams. I wanted to crawl into a hole. We bought the Master Series though! 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-in-your-field-that-make-it-obvious-speaker-has-no-idea/299530.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-in-your-field-that-make-it-obvious-speaker-has-no-idea/299530.md?page=5)