Engineer's Dictionary

Major Technological Breakthrough - Back to the drawing board.

Developed after years of intensive research - It was discovered by accident.

Project slightly behind original schedule due to unforseen difficulties - We are working on something else.

The designs are well within allowable limits - We just made it, stretching a point or two.

Customer satisfaction is believed assured - We are so far behind schedule that the customer was happy to get anything at all from us.

Close project coordination - We should have asked someone else; or, let's spread the responsibility for this.

The design will be finalized in the next reporting period - We haven't started this job yet, but we've got to say something.

A number of different approaches are being tried - We don't know where we're going, but we're moving.

Test results were extremely gratifying - It works, and are we surprised!

Extensive effort is being applied on a fresh approach to the problem - We just hired three new guys; we'll let them kick it around for a while.

Preliminary operational tests are inconclusive - The darn thing blew up when we threw the switch.

The entire concept will have to be abandoned - The only guy who understood the thing quit.

Modifications are underway to correct certain minor difficulties - We threw the whole thing out and are starting from scratch.