Corporate language and so-called "buzzwords," or fashionable jargon, can be annoying and pose genuine barriers to understanding. But they can also expose organisations to the risk of being sued, while being particularly baffling for people whose first language is not English. And some analysts suggest corporate language has only become prevalent because of the ways it can be used to deceive people.
Anyone who has sat in a meeting at work is likely to be familiar with phrases like reaching out, on my radar, touch base and deep dive.
They mean very little in a literal sense but have become popular "corporate speak," or language used in the corporate world.
An associate professor in writing at the University of Queensland, Roslyn Petelin, says organisations often deliberately set out to use such jargon to try to fool people.
Dr Petelin says such strategies can be dangerous for organisations, exposing them to corporate risk when people allege they have been deliberately deceived.
She says she has helped organisations aware of that risk to adopt plain language.
She says, for migrants trying to learn English, corporate jargon can make that process much more challenging.
Dr Petelin says she can think of many examples. Some of the jargon can get more complicated.
For example, Dr Petelin points to an expression referring to a kimono, the traditional Japanese robe that has wide sleeves and is tied in a sash.
The president of the Victorian Association for the Teaching of English, Emily Frawley, says idioms can definitely challenge migrants.
She says literal meanings are hard enough.
Ms Frawley says students living with autism can also struggle with the literal meanings of words and phrases.
