Expecting all of your co-workers to understand your terms is fair Think of the blue sky. Maybe we should Brainstorming or Project work for this reason. to move on we can Think outside the box And Make sure we all sing from the same hymn sheet. If not, we can Circle back And there is no need for that Reinvent the wheel to understand each other.
While the London poll identified the phrases our friends in the UK use, most of them appear to be the same as those we use in the US. I admit I haven’t heard “Make sure we all sing from the same hymn sheet”, but I intend to credit her to my (unpaid) side gig as music director for the church. However, that would not be the linguistic term.
Here are the phrases Brits find annoying, as reported by the Daily Mail. What should we add to it?
- blue sky thinking
- shower ideas
- to “do” a project
- to move on
- Brainstorming
- Get the ball rolling
- Dig down
- out of the loop
- Thinking outside the box
- touch rule
- Singing from the same hymn sheet
- circle back
- Strategic fit
- minimum
- It’s easy to get
- the win
- Play tough
- The best exercise
- on my radar
- seat mark
- Value Added
- To run a clue on a flagpole
- Results paid
- Due
- game plan
- Hit the ground running
- Customer centric
- No, I’m on the team
- Back to the drawing board
- Reinvent the wheel
- Mark the letter i and cross the letter t
- Action Plan
- Bells and whistles
- Move the goal
- Grid appeared
- on the same page
- Open door policy
- to “ping” an email
- Launch a project in the tall grass
- even thought joined
- Pick it up and run with it
- Streamlined
- close play
- To take an idea or project “off piste”
- Equal opportunities
- Quick win
- in the driving seat
- without thinking
- For the “Park” project
- as soon as possible
In place of one of these phrases, say what they really mean. Then you don’t risk being misunderstood by people. Although sometimes, when you don’t have anything of value to say, being misunderstood at least makes the other person think they’re the problem instead of you.
This originally appeared on Inc.
