Crap 'Buzzwords'

I was foxed by this one.

I saw it in an email going round inviting me to a "brown bag". I think it was actually a conference call with the US. It's a meeting to which invitees are expected to bring their own lunch. In the US, this is often carried in a brown paper bag.

So this lunch meeting was actually happening at about 5pm UK time.

An absolute classic, especially when used by non-Americans to invite only non-Americans.

At least you were provided with 'Lunch' and 'Meeting' clues.

Used to be regularly invited to plain old 'Brown bag on [Technology x]' and a straw poll showed that no-one in my dept actually knew what it meant. I think it originates with optional drop-in lunchtime lectures at US unis.

First time I vaguely realised it was American, I thought it was an evening bring-a-bottle thing, because you always saw people disguising bottles from the 'liquor store' in films.