By Nancy Simon
First in a series.
Within the past six months, the term pushback, loosely defined as “resistance from an opposing force,” has been used in association with phenomena as varied as the presidential campaign, the competitive domain of retail shopping, and Apple iPod customers.
According to the American Heritage Dictionary, pushback is defined as “the name of a mechanical device used in motorized devices that serve the function of opening and closing a door or other object, e.g., ‘the pushback on a subway door.'”
AHD also recognizes pushback for its military connection, e.g., “the forced movement of troops back from the line.”
Along similar lines, Wikipedia links pushback to aviation, referencing it as “an airport procedure during which an aircraft is pushed backwards away from an airport gate by an external power.” Note the inclusion of the word “external,” emphasizing its origination from an outside source.
From the aforementioned definitions, we come to the conclusion that pushback’s traditional meaning was based upon the idea of a physical act being performed by an outside force which, in turn, jostled someone or something from his, her or its chosen position.
Over the past couple of years, however, pushback has gotten a makeover of sorts and, thus, taken on a whole host of fresh and colorful alliterations.
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Posted on January 8, 2008