This is how it works (from Wikipedia):
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!”.
A 2007 IBM commercial displays buzzword bingo in action.
In modern businesses where collaborative “teams” gather as a matter of routine to review activities and map future actions, sessions are often led by guest speakers or notable personalities higher up the pay scales or chain of command. The language used by these speakers often includes predictable references to arcane business concepts, which are perfect for buzzword bingo players to use on their bingo cards.
Part of the game is to have the courage to actually yell “Bingo!”. In order to avoid reprimands that would surely follow if such behavior happened, the participants are more likely, as the speaker utters the buzzwords, to look at one another quietly and mouth the word “Bingo” without making a sound to the delight of those that may have seen it. The result is a statement that the speaker is just spouting off a bunch of buzzwords and really providing little value.
The concept was popularised by a Dilbert’s comic strip in 1994.
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