Pushback

Here's a relatively new noun that I had not come across until recently - another great bullshit word ripe for use by corporate tools and political spinners.

William Safire defined it cutely in a NY Times column earlier this year

Here is a locution that conveys a colorful picture of an action. Pushback is to “resistance” what ripoff is to “theft.” In the synonymy of opposition, pushback is more combative than reaction, less menacing than hostile and not fraught with the paramilitary overtones now attached to resistance. Although the similarly constructed noun phrase back talk remains two words (unlike backlash), just try to shove push-back and see what happens.

I first became aware of it as the corporate guy who runs my professional life at the moment was explaining the strategy that his fellow technocrats will use as they withdraw my services from my clients. He said something like "The Account Manager will communicate our preferred endstate and make note of any client pushback."

Unfortunately, the Account Manager didn't understand what the hell this meant so he communicated confusion to the clients. When he received no signs of pushback, the project was deemed approved by them. Now my job will be eliminated.

This actually is funny.