Bingo is traditionally played with numbers that form rows or columns (where the columns are labeled, B, I, N, G, and O respectively). Numbers are called and then players match those numbers to the numbers on their cards until they form a particular pattern. A pattern is designated before the game begins and the most common form is 5 boxes in a row (vertically, horizontally, or diagonally).
But, bingo has evolved since the days of using simple numbers. Nowadays people have created a version of the game called Buzzword Bingo. This type of game can be played at meetings or speeches and holds no value other than poking fun at whoever is speaking.
The play card is similar to a regular bingo card (25 boxes) except that instead of numbers, keywords are used. For instance, a buzzword may be Notorious and players will mark off that word if they hear it during the speech or meeting that they’re attending.
There’s a bit of bravado to the game when it comes to winning. In traditional bingo when a player forms a winning pattern they yell “bingo!” and win the game. In buzzword bingo yelling bingo during a speech would be poor practice (albeit funny) depending on the nature of the speech.
In most cases people will just tell the persons next to them that they have hit a “bingo” and not announce it to the room.
Although it seems like a negative type of event, buzzword bingo can have a positive meaning as well. Managers may use the bingo game to have their workers listen more actively, or even to increase positive thinking during meetings or speeches.
Of course, if the speech is very serious then management wouldn’t use buzzword bingo to help employees to listen.
Usually the game is played when a speaker than has particular phrases or idioms that they use regularly is speaking. For instance, Al Gore had many buzzwords to use when describing technology. So when he spoke at MIT in 1996 hackers distributed buzzword bingo cards to the audience.
Buzzword bingo is a simple variation of the great game of bingo but usually doesn’t have any prizes.
