GUT FEELING: Once used to describe the bases on which a client would decide to run a commercial or print campaign, using his instinct instead of copy tests. Now it refers to the ulcer a copywriter gets when the client goes with the research results and runs the boring commercial that is filled with lots of information that no one will really pay attention to or remember because it doesn’t entertain or excite people into buying.

THAT’S WHY YOU MAKE THE BIG BUCKS: This means you’ve got a lot of work to do making “the big bucks” for everybody except you.

CREATIVE GENIUS: Once stood for the ability some creative people had to create award winning campaigns that made the client rich and famous. Now it stands for the ability to survive all that I’ve been describing.

HAVE FUN WITH IT: Once meant get lose, let the ideas flow, enjoy the assignment. Now it means, you’re never going to have any fun it with it because it’s the most boring, horrible assignment on earth, so grin and bare it. Because if you don’t come with something you’re fired.

OUT OF THE BOX: Originally and in certain very creative shops this meant the creative director or client wanted some really original thinking. Of course now and in most agencies it means just the opposite. Go see what the competition is doing and copy them. “Remember if it’s so great why haven’t I seen it before?” This definitely means stay in side that box.

FOCUS GROUP: This is supposed to be a group of people in a room being questioned about a particular product or creative concept that would help the creative team come up with a strategy to advertising the product. This really is an opportunity to pig out and laugh at the funny people behind the window who are getting paid to make fun of a creative persons ideas.

ACCOUNT IN REVIEW: The client’s pissed and wants another agency. Or time to get your book out.

MEDIA PLAN: How can we get the client to sign off on a big budget which will run his ad or commercial just enough times for the agency to say it’s played to death lets get more money to produce another spot or ad campaign we can run.