35 People Share Passive Aggressive ‘Gibberish Phrases’ That Almost Everyone Uses In Their Workplace
"As per my last e-mail." "A few things..." "While I understand your urgency..." If you recognize any of these, you're probably familiar with office language. It's clunky. It's repetitive. But once you become fluent at it, you start noticing little nuances that make it a bit more exciting. Like the passive-aggressive phrases people throw at each other to make life harder than it should be.
Recently, writer, producer, and social media consultant Delia Paunescu asked Twitter to list the best/most insufferable work gibberish, and holy coffee-machine-small-talk, did everyone deliver! Scroll down to check them out and upvote your faves!
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I'm on number 4 now, but I love it so much. If only I could use the second part directly instead of a "Just to clarify"
The confusing maze of office lingo is one of the reasons why an estimated 2.9 billion people of the 3 billion who go to work every day of avoid making small talk with their colleagues. However, this can cost them a promotion.
Jamie Terran, a licensed career coach in New York City, told The New York Times that small talk between colleagues and supervisors builds rapport, which in turn builds trust. “Rapport is the feeling that allows you to extend a deadline, or overlook smaller mistakes, because it makes it easy for you to remember we’re only human. Right or wrong, building rapport through interaction with colleagues could be the thing that gets you the promotion or keeps you in the role you’re in.”
Luckily, turning your anxiety about making small talk with your co-workers into worrying about not making small talk with your co-workers is definitely possible. Of course, it's easier said than done, but we have to understand that while small talk can be a nightmare, the lack of it can make us miserable as well. I mean, isn't the ability to truly connect with a fellow team member, one that can really understand your daily struggles, something worth working for? Especially when you consider that failure to do so can get you kicked out when the time comes for someone to get sacked. Just some food for thought!
Once I forwarded some company bills to accounting BO,after that they asked me to help about some lost bills in person.Went up, accounting staff there,and I told the one I forwarded the mail beforehand that she has them there. Asks me back where. I had to tell her in front of everyone,that since it's not MY email we are looking at,but hers,she should now it. I had to look for the title from my messages on my phone,to help her find it among her emails....it was already read. 😒 From that on, accounting BO believes me when I say I already sent them something. 🙃
When my husband started working he wondered why the person in the room next to him would send an email for something small instead of just walking two steps and ask or tell in person. After a few incidents where people insisted he never told them about something he now does this all the time himself, just to have proof he did actually tell something...
I use it more like „there is respect, but not because you earned it but because I have to respect you or else I have no job“.
Yes, though it's a change in terminology as it used to be called courtesy instead of respect. Courtesy should be given because politeness makes life easier (mostly) and the other should be earned regardless of what the moron demanding it thinks.
Load More Replies...Well if you qualify DUE respect, obviously that person is NOT due any respect.
= I think you are an idiot and I feel like killing you right now, but I can't because you are my boss.
absolutely no one: people in star wars all the time: "master with all due respect..."
"I don't respect you, but I have to pretend I do because we are in a professional setting."
Usually, I keep this way when they own me money, but clearly want to yell at them
I've worked with people who will send something at 4.45pm and say "I need this for a customer meeting at 9 tomorrow". If you help them once, then they never need to be organised ever again, because they have their patsy. "I'm sorry, but I have a [insert important-sounding appointment] that I just can't miss" works well, followed up with "for future reference, I really need more notice". They don't like it, but they usually learn from it.
..Cause I spent 2 hours preparing this quote for you and you did not even dare to say thanks for this offer during the past week ...
I love this one. I get it a lot regarding a policy the did, in fact, change 4 years ago. But management for other departments is notorious for not consistently communicating this type of thing.
I used to have a boss with the most appalling memory. Did use it once to my advantage by pretending I'd told him something and as he was the worst boss I only feel slightly guilty. His fault in part for never writing things down. He used to think we were still in the 70s during the 90s.
Answer: If you need a recap, I suggest you write it and send it to me for approval.
In non-US countries to table something means to START discussing it, as in "put all your cards on the table".
My boss is famous for answering YES or NO to questions that are NOT, in fact, yes or no questions. Which forces us to follow up with a "just to clarify" email.
Sometimes I'm c**p at explaining. So I have written this and meant it.
Or it's just a polite way of saying "I hope your day goes well"?? Why is everyone here so paranoid?
What's wrong with this, sounds like a recap. "Thank you. I'll proceed with "A" and send you a proof by noon tomorrow. Should I keep going while you're proofing or wait for approval?"
Somewhere along the line, politeness and tact have been redefined as passive aggressiveness. Some of these phrases are just trying to be tactful. Some are dressing up outright lies but aren't passive aggressive. The phrase passive aggressive should only really be used when you are ever so sweetly actively trying to destroy someone.
On any design/development forum: "You need to think outside the box" = "Your ideas are all c**p."
Or 'blue-sky thinking'. We want you to come up with some different answers - but we won't use any of them.
Load More Replies...It's funny. When I use some of those terms I know I'm being passive aggressive but coming from someone else, I never read them that way.
I have to suggest (respectfully, of course) ----- maybe b/c I'm over a certain age? ----- that a lot of these phrases came about b/c people got so offended by a straight up "You screwed up, don't do it again." Now, it's politer (?!) to offend 400 people instead of reprimanding 40. Reminds me of that one teacher in grade school who made the whole class write definitions b/c *ONE* kid talked out of turn....
I agree, somewhere along the line, politeness and tact have been redefined as passive aggressiveness. The phrase passive aggressive should only really be used when you are ever so sweetly actively trying to destroy someone.
Load More Replies...I know this isn't necessarily the same exact thing but..... "No Offense but..."= they are about to say something incredibly offensive.
The word "but" *facepalm*...im not racist, but/im not judging, but/i hear what you're saying, but....Lol "but" just means this is the real beginning of my sentence, ignore the first part X(
Load More Replies...oh dear... I appear to have been taking all of this quite literally.
I’m just glad to not be part of this crew anymore. F**k these childish games.
I don't think all of these always apply, but that "I'm a little confused" hits so hard. A few days ago I got sent to 4 different people for one very simple thing and while taking slow, deep breaths to suppress my urge to scream, I said exactly that.
Mine is "Okay, we know what to do, lets get it done." This is nice-speak for "You idiots need to start doing the things you're paid for."
"Are we all on the same page?" = Do you..and I mean just you, understand that you're the only one that F***ed up and I just needed to let everyone that you're to blame for this meeting.
1. You can find that on the internet = Don't think for a minute I am going to help you. 2. Help me understand = What you said was stupid. 3. I have been very busy and haven't had an opportunity to look at it = I forgot and I'm not interested. 4. We'll be discussing this in a meeting coming up = We'll get probably never do anything with this. 5. This is something we can network with.... = Let someone else do this. 6. I find your point interesting = I couldn't agree with it less. 7. In regard to the point you made something you should take a look at = I don't agree with your point but I can't refute it. 8. Along those same lines = I want to change the subject.
Somewhere along the line, politeness and tact have been redefined as passive aggressiveness. Some of these phrases are just trying to be tactful. Some are dressing up outright lies but aren't passive aggressive. The phrase passive aggressive should only really be used when you are ever so sweetly actively trying to destroy someone.
On any design/development forum: "You need to think outside the box" = "Your ideas are all c**p."
Or 'blue-sky thinking'. We want you to come up with some different answers - but we won't use any of them.
Load More Replies...It's funny. When I use some of those terms I know I'm being passive aggressive but coming from someone else, I never read them that way.
I have to suggest (respectfully, of course) ----- maybe b/c I'm over a certain age? ----- that a lot of these phrases came about b/c people got so offended by a straight up "You screwed up, don't do it again." Now, it's politer (?!) to offend 400 people instead of reprimanding 40. Reminds me of that one teacher in grade school who made the whole class write definitions b/c *ONE* kid talked out of turn....
I agree, somewhere along the line, politeness and tact have been redefined as passive aggressiveness. The phrase passive aggressive should only really be used when you are ever so sweetly actively trying to destroy someone.
Load More Replies...I know this isn't necessarily the same exact thing but..... "No Offense but..."= they are about to say something incredibly offensive.
The word "but" *facepalm*...im not racist, but/im not judging, but/i hear what you're saying, but....Lol "but" just means this is the real beginning of my sentence, ignore the first part X(
Load More Replies...oh dear... I appear to have been taking all of this quite literally.
I’m just glad to not be part of this crew anymore. F**k these childish games.
I don't think all of these always apply, but that "I'm a little confused" hits so hard. A few days ago I got sent to 4 different people for one very simple thing and while taking slow, deep breaths to suppress my urge to scream, I said exactly that.
Mine is "Okay, we know what to do, lets get it done." This is nice-speak for "You idiots need to start doing the things you're paid for."
"Are we all on the same page?" = Do you..and I mean just you, understand that you're the only one that F***ed up and I just needed to let everyone that you're to blame for this meeting.
1. You can find that on the internet = Don't think for a minute I am going to help you. 2. Help me understand = What you said was stupid. 3. I have been very busy and haven't had an opportunity to look at it = I forgot and I'm not interested. 4. We'll be discussing this in a meeting coming up = We'll get probably never do anything with this. 5. This is something we can network with.... = Let someone else do this. 6. I find your point interesting = I couldn't agree with it less. 7. In regard to the point you made something you should take a look at = I don't agree with your point but I can't refute it. 8. Along those same lines = I want to change the subject.