Every once in a while corporate America takes a word and gives it a brand new definition, totally unrelated to the word’s dictionary definition. Today’s word is exactly this type of corporate jargon.
Dictionary definition:
- penultimate – adj., next to the last.
Usage examples: “I’ve been reading this book for a long time, but thankfully I’m on the penultimate chapter.” Or: “Just walk down that hall, and you’ll find the restroom behind the penultimate door on the left.”
Corporate Jargon definition:
- penultimate – adj., the very best.
Usage example: “Have you seen our new product? It’s the penultimate!” Or: “We’re going to throw the penultimate office Christmas party this year.”
How does something like this happen? Remember the episode of Seinfeld where Mr. Pitt is observed eating a Snickers candy bar with a knife and fork, launching a national trend? It’s like that. It starts simply enough, with one innocent misuse the word by someone high up on the corporate food chain. In the corporate world, as in the rest of life, people tend to imitate those they admire (or those they fear).
If I were a corporate bigwig and I were in a mischievous mood, I might try to change the definition of a word just for fun. I would strategically misuse a word a few times (maybe at an All-Hands or at a staff meeting), and then watch the magic happen.