Thread: Engineering Phrases (what they really mean)

Customer satisfaction is assured. (We're so far behind
schedule that the customer will settle for anything.)

Please see me / Let's discuss it. (I need your help. I've screwed up again.)

The project is in process. (It's so tied up in red tape that it's
completely hopeless.)

We're trying a number of different approaches. (We're still guessing,
at this point.)

Close project coordination. (We met together and had coffee.)

Years of development. (It finally worked.)

Energy saving. (Turn off the power to save electricity.)

We'll have to abandon the entire concept. (The only person who
understood the thing just quit.)

We had a major technological breakthrough. (It's boring, but it looks
high tech.)

We're preparing a report with a fresh approach. (We just hired a
couple of kids out of college.)

Preliminary operational tests proved inconclusive. (It blew up when
we flipped the switch.)

Test results proved extremely gratifying. (Yahoo! It actually worked.)

Tell us what you are thinking. (We'll listen, but if it disagrees
with what we've already done or are planning to do, forget it.)

No maintenance. (If it breaks, we can't fix it.)

Low maintenance. (If it breaks, we're not likely able to fix it.)

All new. (None of the parts are interchangeable with the previous design.)

Rugged. (Needs major equipment to lift it.)

Robust. (More than rugged.)

Light weight. (A little less than rugged.)

Fax it to me. (I'm too lazy to write it down.)