When Bank of America discloses its quarterly results, analysts must decipher CEO Brian Moynihan's lexicon, which is riddled with obscure, archaic words fit for novelists or judges of bygone centuries.

The second-largest U.S. bank's chief, a 66-year-old, treats each call with analysts as a secret word game, randomly selecting the most arcane terms at the last minute. He frequently inserts words such as gainsay, concomitant and fantods into prepared scripts, challenging the street to keep up.

Few outsiders know the joke; only a small circle inside the bank is in on it. The more obscure the word, the better, and Moynihan has used gainsay to declare statements invalid and fantods to say he was not nervous, as in I didn't get fantods.

A Bank of America spokeswoman noted that There is no question, Brian loves a good challenge and always makes us think, or what might be called ludically noetic.

Thus the secret word game remains a distinctive hallmark of Moynihan’s leadership in the financial industry. Analysts must balance the playful lexicon with the rigorous metrics required for regulatory compliance and investor confidence. The practice highlights how creative language can sharpen analytical thinking while keeping the conversation engaging.