Is that expression used in any English speaking country? Is it a local expression that has been directly translated from Chinese? Other?
I’ve never heard this expression outside of Taiwan. I’ve heard “cut costs” or “reduce costs” but never “cost down”.[/quote]
Analyst speak. Seen it a lot in financial writing by stockmarket analysts. Never as a verb though. Most likely Twinglish. But you never know - I’ve heard some awful rubbish spouted on Bubble TV (aka CNBC).
I would edit that out unless it’s in a stockbroker’s market report or similar.
Hey after you’ve paid US$70k for an MBA you have to at least sound like you know what you’re talking about.
I love market analysts. How are your HBOS shares doing boys? Mine are worth 12 pence.
No, these are different. You can scale something up or down, or calm someone down. These verbs are transitive, and have established verb + obj + up or down patterns. Cost and headcount are not fundamentally transitive verbs (even though bizspeak now has ‘to cost something’, you don’t ‘cost something up’), and ‘to size something up’ has a different, established usage. Not good analogies, sorry.
Heard of, yes. But I’ve heard of “ain’t” and “looser” (for loser) too. Examples of bad usage don’t justify themselves. ‘A cost-reduction approach’ is far better.[/quote]
Actually I like the phrase ‘cost down’, although it’s a very local phrase it’s to the point.
There are a few examples in Taiwanese bizenglish speak. Another very common one is DM, I’m constantly having to remind people here that foreigners do NOT understand what DM means (means flyer, probably mutated from ‘direct mail’ or ‘direct marketing’).
[quote=“headhonchoII”]Actually I like the phrase ‘cost down’, although it’s a very local phrase it’s to the point.
There are a few examples in Taiwanese bizenglish speak. Another very common one is DM, I’m constantly having to remind people here that foreigners do NOT understand what DM means (means flyer, probably mutated from ‘direct mail’ or ‘direct marketing’).[/quote]
Also: EQ and 3C. I have to remind students that foreigners probably don’t understand these either.
[quote=“headhonchoII”]Actually I like the phrase ‘cost down’, although it’s a very local phrase it’s to the point.
There are a few examples in Taiwanese bizenglish speak. Another very common one is DM, I’m constantly having to remind people here that foreigners do NOT understand what DM means (means flyer, probably mutated from ‘direct mail’ or ‘direct marketing’).[/quote]
Then it’s like jargon. Although I respect the role of jargon within an industry, and I introduce jargon when it’s appropriate and when I’m familiar with it, but I always suggest limiting its usage and that people from other industries and other regions or countries might not understand it.
Personally, I think someone who uses “cost down” as a verb in a sentence sounds syntactically challenged. :saywhat:
I’ll see your cost down and up it with de-growthing - Indian financial talk for when an Indian company is losing money, but the grubby nationalistic analyst opts for a nicer sounding term.
“No, no, no, (head nodding), it is not that earnings declined in 1Q09, it was merely a period of de-growth . . .”
Craig, I would say that even if this monstrosity is used by certain individuals, it is something that my old English teachers would have all frowned upon. Taiwanese people are happy to use crap like this because they don’t usually pay much regard to the basics of how the English language works. Ask them if ‘cost down’ is a noun, verb or adjective - not in any absolute sense, just in the sentence (I use the word loosely.) they just gave you. They will have no idea, because they don’t care.
I would love to write more, but today I am day off.
Is that expression used in any English speaking country? Is it a local expression that has been directly translated from Chinese? Other?[/quote]
As Feiren noted, the term was coined in the Japanese business press, IIRC in the 80’s, and popularized in “business novels” of the period. It’s written in katakana in Japanese, which originally denoted “loan words” but now includes any “Made in Japan” neologism.
Just because people in Australia say it does not mean it is not Chinglish. If those people deal with Taiwanese and Chinese regularly they may have picked up some Chinglish as well.
I bought some more shares to keep my average cost down. Cost down by itself sounds weird to me, but then I am a Commerce major not an English major. I do read the business section of the newspaper every day and many magazines like Harpers and the Economist and don’t recall ever seeing terminology like the cost down approach, which I guess would be cost cutting, words I have read many times.
You’re right. In most cases where cost down is used, it could be made gramatically correct by substituting cost cutting. But that’s more letters and syllables.
I hear it from time to time. Cost down initiative, etc. It may have existed before, but I think its use has bloomed in these tough economic times and once things get better it may subside. I believe it’s used not just due to poor english skills among asians, but because it’s also trendy business jargon du jour. At least I’m not hearing ramp up anymore.
Good one!! :bravo:
