Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

50 office-speak phrases you love to hate

I hate it when people ask me "Working hard, or hardly working?"

*gnash*

..then again, it pleasantly amuses me at the same time because in my shallow mind I equate this IQ... for better or worse.
 
My wife's office doesn't like the term "retreat" to describe an all-day meeting to discuss long-term strategy. Instead they call it an "advance." Get it? Like, moving forward instead of backward? Doesn't that just incentivize you like crazy?

Drives me (and her) bonkers.
 
LOL - I got a couple of hostile looks in a recent managers' meeting, when the 'utter pillock who wishes he was in charge' (TM) used the word 'Incentivize'

My response was: 'Oh God - does anyone here speak English?'

Got a laugh from the two board members present, fortunately :D
 
I'm not yet in employment, but here in school, teachers love using "hyperactive" to explain that a student cannot just sit still and listen.
 
One of the ones mentioned on the list in the OP is one that I loathe: "Let's talk offline about this" to mean "let's talk about this outside of this meeting." Ugh.
 
synergy, end-to-end, one-stop-shop... the usual suspects, usually uttered several times a minute by a client when they're shopping for a new agency. :rolleyes:
 
My personal list:

"The fact of the matter is..."
"It is what it is"
"I'll ping you later about this"
"From a ____ perspective/standpoint"
 
iGav said:
... one-stop-shop.
Click to expand...

I hate alliteration and rhyme in the workplace. I've heard this one, too, several times even, in the ad spots we run where I work. Drives me nuts because they think it sounds so 'hip' and 'with it'..
 
i can't stand any of the 'office-speak' really, which makes me glad i don't have to put up with it as i'd forever be correcting people on their misuse of words. :p
 
When someone says they want to 'reach out' to me, I want to reach out and wrap my hands around his/her neck.

'Let's talk offine' is really code for 'why the f*** did you bring that up on this call, you moron?!':D
 
"Please leverage the following resources" instead of "talk to these people".

I think the reason phrases like this are used is that people like to sound smarter than they actually are.

Cheers.
 
Every time I take a call from a vendor, I can GUARANTEE they will say "I just wanted to touch base with you...."
I want to hang up right then.
 
vanmacguy said:
I think the reason phrases like this are used is that people like to sound smarter than they actually are.
Click to expand...

that is the whole point of it, yes. to make things appear a bit different and above what it really means. its nonsense.
 
don't think you can beat "we need a holistic, cradle-to-grave approach"

that would meet with a response of "Stop talking utter bollocks"

thankfully I don't spend any time in meetings but for those who do

Meeting bingo
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back