Jargon: Optic
Meaning: What it looks like. (I kid you not)
Jargon of the Day
Jargon of the day: Desecularization
Jargon: Desecularization
Translation: When a formerly non-religious society grows more religious.
Jargon of the day: Alternative Conceptualization
Today’s Jargon: Alternative Conceptualization
Translation: Another way of thinking about things. Sometimes I understand why people use jargon – it seems more specific, or has special nuance. This one is just baffling.
Jargon of the day: Domestic Disparity Indicator
I was secretly excited when I ran into this phrase today, because it sounds so totally meaningless.
Phrase: Domestic Disparity Indicator
Translation: Any way you can find to measure the divide between rich and poor in a country. Domestic because you’re measuring just one country, disparity because what you want to know is how rich are the rich and how poor are the poor, and indicator because you’re looking for some kind of thing you can measure. The percentage of land belonging to the richest 10% of the population, for example, would be a domestic disparity indicator.
Jargon of the day 7/8/08
This is a new daily feature: each day I’ll give you a jargony word or phrase I heard that day, along with my unscientific translation.
So, today’s jargon: Private sector distribution system
Translation: This was in the context of distributing food aid, so what it means is trucking companies. Businesses – not government or donor agencies – who can carry food around the country.