| Entry Date | What jargon term annoys you the most? | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| September 21, 2020 at 10:22 am | AOD |
Not even GPs understand the acronym for Alcohol and other drugs. I have seen websites for community health where "AOD programs" is used rather than "Help with drugs and alcohol" |
| October 20, 2021 at 9:26 am | asymptomatic |
As a health professional I understand that this means "without symptoms", but for my partner who doesn't have a health background and for whom English is not his first language, it meant that you have "a symptom". Imagine how different the Covid-19 health information sounded once he learnt that? I often wonder how many other people still don't understand this term, and who have been following an entirely differently set of Covid safety rules as a result (ie, "stay home if you have symptoms, but you can leave the house if you have a (one) symptom".) |
| September 18, 2025 at 9:58 am | asymptomatic |
As a health professional I understand that this means "without symptoms", but for my partner who doesn't have a health background and for whom English is not his first language, it meant that you have "a symptom". Imagine how different the Covid-19 health information sounded once he learnt that? I often wonder how many other people still don't understand this term, and who have been following an entirely differently set of Covid safety rules as a result (ie, "stay home if you have symptoms, but you can leave the house if you have a (one) symptom".) |
| October 24, 2023 at 8:45 am | Ballpark |
Another American term which doesn't mean much elsewhere. |
| October 18, 2024 at 9:17 am | BAU |
Business As Usual just an unnecessary pompous sounding term |
| October 20, 2021 at 3:57 pm | binary |
not in regular use |
| August 13, 2020 at 10:23 am | BOM |
During the height of last horrific Bush-fire season, a Senior Emergency person came forward and announced that he had just checked the "BOM" site. Anybody hearing that referral to the Weather Report could have assumed he was talking about a bomb attack adding to the already horrible unfolding disaster. I have a long list - DOCS, FACS, HSIE, COAG, DFAT, ACT, ADF, PDHPE, medical positive/negative results. Then there's the bonkers term "NEAR-MISS" . Need I explain? Well - I suffered a genuine "near-miss" recently when a driver "rear-ended" or crashed into my car and managed to "write-it-off". THAT WAS A NEAR-MISS, as far as I'm concerned. I'm still chasing him - the bastard drove off! |
| October 21, 2019 at 1:21 pm | Brain Storming |
Brain Storming is a commonly used term use in Australia for meetings. On the 20th of June 2008 City Councils in UK banned the use of this word as "Brain Storming" is a term associated and a symptom of a specific neurological disease. |
| October 16, 2023 at 9:44 am | Build the plane why flying it |
stupid analogy to something that in reality can't be done |
| October 20, 2020 at 10:08 pm | CALD |
Not using the CALD acronym shows respect to culturally diverse individuals and communities and gives people and communities agency and appreciates their diversity and positive contributions to society. |
| October 14, 2021 at 4:53 pm | CALD |
Aren't we all Culturally and Linguistically Diverse People? And who isn't the 'CALD' when we are delivering services and what to we call them? What/who is the Mainstream? It (may) creates an Us and Them binary polarity or opposition. |
| October 9, 2025 at 11:45 am | Capacity |
It doesn't offer a clear explanation on what it is - and is used in the positive "build capacity" and negative "no capacity" the term is ambiguous and can mean, time, space, room etc. Let drop this jargon! |
| October 6, 2022 at 9:59 am | Capacity Building |
Because capacity means take more on, not learn more skills. |
| November 8, 2019 at 7:31 pm | Carers |
We are people first. We are mothers, sisters, brothers, fathers, and friends. Caring is a bi-product of our relationship with the person. |
| January 11, 2024 at 9:19 am | CHIP list |
no one knows what the exact acronym wording is... but we know it's a patient booked for double-operator complex high risk percutaneous coronary intervention. It just sounds silly! |
| October 13, 2020 at 1:04 pm | chronic |
Because the general community do not understand it, I have heard it used as a substitute as bad eg I have asthma, it's chronic, they don't mean its an ongoing, always there condition, they mean its really bad. And then we here about health professionals, govt talking about chronic conditions - what do they general public think this means - really bad conditions. Oh mine is not that bad... |
| October 24, 2023 at 8:50 am | Clients |
Makes patients seem like a commercial proposition. Or maybe that's the whole point. |
| October 14, 2020 at 4:59 pm | COB |
Makes me think of a cob loaf not close of business! Why can't we just say the end of the day or end of the work day |
| October 20, 2021 at 9:29 am | cognitive |
It's just a difficult word to understand. |
| October 14, 2021 at 4:56 pm | Cohort |
We should clearly identify who we are talking about, rather than referring to a non-descriptive 'cohort'. |
| Entry Date | What jargon term annoys you the most? | Why? |
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