You're talking to some people about computers when you realize that somehow, they know even less than you do. How do you figure out what they need to hear? How do you phrase it clearly, simply and accurately, but not condescendingly? How do you know when you're screwing that up, and how do you recover? And conversely, when people talk to you about computers, how do you figure out what they mean even when they are using a different set of jargon from what you've learned, or incorrect jargon, or plain don't themselves know what they mean? [more inside]
posted by d. z. wang on Nov 27, 2009 - 14 answers

Businessjargon filter: 'green field' situation vs 'brown field' situation - what do these terms mean in a business context?
posted by jennyhead on Nov 6, 2009 - 9 answers

Is there a more elegant, grammatical or pedantic way to say "datacentre"? Both words have Latin origins, but there seems to be something clumsy about that combination. Should it be a datumcentre? One word, two words or hyphenated?
posted by TheophileEscargot on May 28, 2009 - 28 answers

What are some examples of "family jargon"? For example, a friend's father once told a joke to his family that poked fun at the French. He concluded by saying, "Don't tell anyone from France." Now, within their family, "Don't tell anyone from France" means "Let's keep this between us"--and they say it even if the secret has nothing to do with the French. [more inside]
posted by Ms. Informed on Nov 7, 2008 - 112 answers

I'm looking for this Dadaist poster I saw awhile ago. [more inside]
posted by parkbench on Nov 7, 2008 - 2 answers

Can you explain the drive in disk drive? [more inside]
posted by unmake on Jan 20, 2008 - 14 answers

Can anyone tell me the etymology of the term "lunch out," meaning 'to freak out'? [more inside]
posted by toomuchkatherine on Jan 9, 2008 - 8 answers

I'm looking for a term my professor used to use for "convergent words." What do you call a word that uses roots with similar meanings to form the same concept across two languages? (either by chance or direct-translation) [more inside]
posted by mecenday on Dec 10, 2007 - 10 answers

What's the source of "a baby's arm holding an apple"? [more inside]
posted by Rash on Oct 16, 2007 - 9 answers

What is "enterprise software" and how is it different from any other kind of software ever? [more inside]
posted by DrSkrud on Nov 29, 2006 - 14 answers

When does a "list" become a "laundry list"? [more inside]
posted by otherwordlyglow on Oct 25, 2006 - 17 answers

What does "barnacle code" mean to programmers? [more inside]
posted by pax digita on May 31, 2006 - 9 answers

"tab-gen abortion" "a demonstration set of lams, pale green matchsticks made of compressed seaweed." These phrases occur in a novel I'm reading; the speaker is (presumably) a gynecologist or CNP who is counseling a patient about a second-trimester abortion. I Googled and searched various medical encylopedias and came up empty. What is "tab-gen"? And are lams some kind of abortifacient suppository? Thanks.
posted by scratch on Apr 21, 2006 - 8 answers

What's a nickname for the speakers on a stereo? [more inside]
posted by Gucky on Jan 12, 2006 - 21 answers

Is there anywhere a FAQ or tutorial to help newer people such as me with understanding short-hand terms such as "FARK", or what's the difference between "funny" and "teh funny"? [more inside]
posted by longsleeves on Oct 26, 2005 - 16 answers

What's the cool-kid, hackerish and full definition of the phrase: [this is good]? [more inside]
posted by teece on Jun 14, 2005 - 95 answers

My friends and I were talking about building a cabin up North, and then we started talking like it was a 'heist' or a 'job', if you get the picture. So we designated someone as the Wheel-man, and someone else as the Grease-man, and then I asked: what's a grease-man? No one actually knew. I tried Google to no avail. Does anyone know what a Grease-man is? Are there any other *-man titles you can think up for a heist?
posted by indiebass on Apr 13, 2005 - 39 answers

Where did the term "meatspace" originate? I know it entered the OED in 2000 (alongside "gaydar," "cybersquatting" and "Frankenfood"), and I see The Word Spy credits a 1995 article about John Perry Barlow as the "earliest citation," but I think I saw it in cyberpunk sci-fi before that. Anyone got an earlier appearance than 1995? [more inside]
posted by mediareport on Mar 2, 2005 - 24 answers

"Symphony" vs. "Philharmonic" in the name of an orchestra: is there a difference?
posted by casarkos on Jul 7, 2004 - 10 answers