10. Topless meeting

A finalist for Oxford University Press' Word of the Year, this phrase refers to gatherings where laptops (as well as other mobile devices like iPhones) are banned. Coined in Silicon Valley, where meeting participants were often distracted by their handhelds, the term is attributed to author and web developer Dan Saffer. "The 'topless' designation should be used mainly for brainstorms/design reviews/essential discussions," Saffer advises in a blog posting. Among his other guidelines: "If you can't be topless, you shouldn't be in the meeting."

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