Ive been working the “business world” for over 10 years now. So I feel its only fitting that I vent a bit and compile my Official list of the Most Annoying Business Terms. These are the phrases and sayings that I hear so often that it makes me cringe and question my life choices. If you’ve been in the white-collar world for a while now, you’re sure to have heard them. If you’re just starting out, this should prepare you for whats to come. Beware!
Circle Back:Â
Let’s start out simple. This one is so common that I almost forgot that it’s really business slang for “Follow Up”. In fact, it doesn’t really even annoy me that badly.
- Definition:Â Follow Up
- Used in a Sentence:Â “Let’s circle back with that in the morning.”
The Ask:Â
If you would have asked me six years ago, I would have said that this one would never catch on. How wrong I would have been! I first noticed it in the consulting world. Now I hear it everywhere.
- Definition:Â The Request
- Used in a Sentence:Â “Ive got to admit, I’m lost…what’s the ask here?”
Bio-Break:
Yup, that’s right…Bio-Break. Its a fancy, non-offensive way to say “take a shit”
- Definition:Â Use the Rest Room
- Used in a Sentence:Â “Let’s take five minutes for a quick Bio-Break.”
Swirl:
Swirl is kind of a good one. This is what happens when issues go round and round and never get resolved.
- Definition:Â When issues go back and forth amongst a group without any resolution
- Used in a Sentence:Â “I’d like to just reach out to our vendor and get a straight answer so we can avoid all this swirl.”
Out of Pocket:
Not sure where this one came from, but it’s just a more annoying way of saying “Out of the Office”.
- Definition:Â Out of the Office
- Used in a Sentence:Â “I’ll be out of pocket most of next week, so maybe we can circle back on Friday.”
To Be Continued…
I’ll be updating this as a way to vent as I discover more insane phrases at work. Don’t you worry about that!
