The Best and Worst of Work Jargon
March 29, 2019
Jargon is annoying – we all think it, but we all still love to use it!
Take a look at this cheat sheet by Asana Wavelength, the phrases, they mean politely and what they actually mean.
I decided to ask my teammates what their favorite and least favorite jargon, acronyms, abbreviations and just generally funny or annoying quips we use to express what we mean politely, to type more quickly or to quite simply ‘beat around the bush.’
My least favorite is “low hanging fruit” – so insulting! My favorite is “close the loop,” as it always feels nice to have something come full circle and be able to check it off the list.
Allie Gavan, Account Director
I think my favorite phrase is “I’ll keep noodling” because it sounds silly, but it’s used in a very serious way. My least favorite is “put some feelers out,” as it’s basically saying to find someone/something that can help us but in a weird way.
Hannah Martin, Account Coordinator
The worst I heard was “let’s stop and double click on this” when wanting to dive deeper on a topic. My favorite is “it’s like herding cats” when trying to get everyone on the same page.
Erin Lumley, Senior Consultant
Can I say that my favorite is “OOO” but only if I’m using it and my least favorite is “OOO,” but only if other people are using it?
Kayla Bortak, Senior Account Manager
My least favorite jargon is “take this offline.” First off, unless you’re planning on meeting face-to-face, words will be exchanged on some online source, i.e. email, Slack, etc. And, secondly, it sounds like fight talk – almost like “let’s take this outside.” My favorite is “EOD”… well, because it means it’s the end of the day and it’s time for a glass of wine after a long day’s work.
Jenn Johnston, Account Manager
My favorite is “PITA” (meaning pain in the …), it’s one I heard only recently from a colleague, but it’s a great way of expressing frustrations without actually typing the words. My least favorite is the question “can I pick your brain?” It is a weird way of saying can I ask you some questions, and I just don’t like the thought of it!
Carla Richardson, Senior Account Executive
One of my favorites is “Let’s take a step back.” It’s a great phrase to interject when you need to reset a conversation and focus a discussion from a different lens. One of my least favorites is “circling back” – reminds me of a shark or another animal circling its prey.
Mindy Hull, CEO and Founder
Carla Richardson
Senior Account Executive
The Best and Worst of Work Jargon
March 29, 2019
Jargon is annoying – we all think it, but we all still love to use it!
Take a look at this cheat sheet by Asana Wavelength, the phrases, they mean politely and what they actually mean.
I decided to ask my teammates what their favorite and least favorite jargon, acronyms, abbreviations and just generally funny or annoying quips we use to express what we mean politely, to type more quickly or to quite simply ‘beat around the bush.’
My least favorite is “low hanging fruit” – so insulting! My favorite is “close the loop,” as it always feels nice to have something come full circle and be able to check it off the list.
Allie Gavan, Account Director
I think my favorite phrase is “I’ll keep noodling” because it sounds silly, but it’s used in a very serious way. My least favorite is “put some feelers out,” as it’s basically saying to find someone/something that can help us but in a weird way.
Hannah Martin, Account Coordinator
The worst I heard was “let’s stop and double click on this” when wanting to dive deeper on a topic. My favorite is “it’s like herding cats” when trying to get everyone on the same page.
Erin Lumley, Senior Consultant
Can I say that my favorite is “OOO” but only if I’m using it and my least favorite is “OOO,” but only if other people are using it?
Kayla Bortak, Senior Account Manager
My least favorite jargon is “take this offline.” First off, unless you’re planning on meeting face-to-face, words will be exchanged on some online source, i.e. email, Slack, etc. And, secondly, it sounds like fight talk – almost like “let’s take this outside.” My favorite is “EOD”… well, because it means it’s the end of the day and it’s time for a glass of wine after a long day’s work.
Jenn Johnston, Account Manager
My favorite is “PITA” (meaning pain in the …), it’s one I heard only recently from a colleague, but it’s a great way of expressing frustrations without actually typing the words. My least favorite is the question “can I pick your brain?” It is a weird way of saying can I ask you some questions, and I just don’t like the thought of it!
Carla Richardson, Senior Account Executive
One of my favorites is “Let’s take a step back.” It’s a great phrase to interject when you need to reset a conversation and focus a discussion from a different lens. One of my least favorites is “circling back” – reminds me of a shark or another animal circling its prey.
Mindy Hull, CEO and Founder
