greetings researchers and happy rocktober,

granny?s been too busy in the cave lately to duck her head much out
but I was hoping you could help me with an irritation ?.

looking for the earliest reference for the introductory phrase ?going
forward,? used in corporate dumbasspeak memos.

also I have another one ? ramp-up -- which has this definition from
Investopedia.com:
 
to increase a company's operations in anticipation of increased demand.
Investopedia says: A company might 'ramp up' operations if they just
signed a contract creating substantially more demand for their
product.

people also use this in cybererotica, but granny can?t get  the Snake
River Canyon visual outta her head reading that phrase.  makes me
wanna put on a safety helmet.

again, earliest usage (maybe from Lexis-Nexis) as in this thread
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=213360

also 3 websites closely resembling WordSpy will suffice as an answer. 
It only has ?going plural? BTW.  Must include the citation info.

so your pick of questions:

going forward (earliest citation)

- OR -

ramp-up (earliest citation)

- OR -

WordSpy clonesites

muchas gracias 
a?uelita binga

---

Clarification of Question by badabing-ga on 07 Nov 2005 16:41 PST

in the 'close enough' category, post away, AF.  I'd like to pay you for your time.

Not your answer but an interesting observation:

"...Bee theorizes that the moronic repetition of "going forward"
originated in one of those seven-book corporate brainwashing courses
under some chapter like "Choose Your Words to Motivate" ? and that if
the theory behind the phrase is to subliminally motivate, it will not
be long before more intricate semantic manipulations start showing up
in middle-management drone-speak..."

http://www.aero-farm.com/asi/af2100.htm

Also of interest:

"...I have found several conflicting sources for the modern meaning of
RAMP UP, though the phrase dates back at least to the 16th century,
when it simply meant to climb anything. The current sense of a sudden
or swift escalation seems to have started when the phrase was used to
describe an automobile?s ability to ascend a slope, or ramp..."

http://www.emcf.org/pub/jargon/words/rampup.htm

Hi badabing-ga,
I have looked at LexisNexis and the Times UK database and ?ramp up?
with reference to increased production starts to appear in articles in
1983. I suspect there will be earlier references.

Looking at this page, I wonder as to whether it came from one of the
papers listed on the site. Perhaps: Booz, Allen and Hamilton (1982)
"New product management for the 1980?s", Booz, Allen and Hamilton,
Inc., New York.
http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/csp/projects/npdmanufacturing.html

answerfinder-ga

gee, thanks, boys!  that was some interesting reading.  and, thanks,
answerfinder for looking on L-N and across the pond for this info.  at
least now I have a possible name vicinity in which to hurl my rocks. 
early 80s, late 70s sound about right for the 'ramp-up'  jargon.

I'll keep this open in case anyone is looking at this leisurely.

your efforts are much appreciated, fellas!