How To Win At Wordsmanship After years of hacking through etymological thickets at the U.S. Public Health Service, a 63-year-old official named Philip Broughton hit upon a sure-fire method for converting frustration into fulfillment (jargonwise). Euphemistically called the Systematic Buzz Phrase Projector, Broughton's system employs a lexicon of 30 carefully chosen "buzzwords": Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 0. integrated 0. management 0. options 1. total 1. organizational 1. flexibility 2. systematized 2. monitored 2. capability 3. parallel 3. reciprocal 3. mobility 4. functional 4. digital 4. programming 5. responsive 5. logistical 5. concept 6. optional 6. transitional 6. time-phase 7. synchronized 7. incremental 7. projection 8. compatible 8. third-generation 8. hardware 9. balanced 9. policy 9. contingency The Procedure is simple. Think of any three digit number, then select the corresponding buzzword from each column. For instance, number 257 produces "systematized logistical projection," a phrase that can be dropped into virtually any report with that ring of decisive, knowledgeable authority. "No one will have the remotest idea of what you are talking about," says Broughton, "but the important thing is that they're not about to admit it." ====================================================================== Two facts struck me. First, every ham wishes he or she could come up with the key electronic invention that would solve the world's problems, make one rich beyond belief, and write one's name large in all future history books. Second, all that is needed is inspiration. Since the first premise is set, all we need is a source of inspiration. That's where Broughton's word-play device comes into play. By judiciously selecting words for 3 columns, we can inspire ourselves to create the electronics of tomorrow. So I made up my list of inspirational concepts. Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 0. integrated 0. encoded 0. optimizer 1. asynchonous 1. programmable 1. converter 2. analog 2. monitored 2. reactor 3. parallel 3. reciprocal 3. transducer 4. functional 4. demodulated 4. interface 5. transferrable 5. logic-based 5. buffer 6. digital 6. transformational 6. filter 7. synchronized 7. incremental 7. instrument 8. compatible 8. fifth-generation 8. regenerator 9. balanced 9. time-phase 9. generator Be careful: some 3-digit inventions may already exist, such as 654. However, I have never seen a 770 or a 049. You may revise the list to suit your special interests. But there is fertile inventive ground, even in this preliminary cut. So while you rewrite the list, I am off to the shop. I do not know today if I shall try to make an 898 or a 542. -73- LB, W4RNL