Wwyd? My colleague keeps buzzing!

[WingsofNylon]

Argh. I am so frustrated. My colleague announces every few minutes that she is buzzing.

If an email arrives she says 'buzzin'. If someone answers her questions she says 'buzzin'. If i say, 'it's time for our meeting' she says 'buzzin'. If someone asks how her weekend was, she says 'buzzin'. At home time she announces...well you get the picture. Today I counted. She has said it 35 times already. In 3 hours!!

I'm worried about her. Is she trying to tell us she has a vibrator lost inside her? Is she being attacked by bees?

What should I do to help her and how do I not end up exploding all over her?

I know I joke, but real suggestions welcome.

Have you asked her if she is realises she says it all the time?

I'm not sure on suggestions but my goodness that would drive me utterly loopy.

Does she maybe not realise she says it so often, maybe for Christmas you could make her a word a day calendar with synonyms for 'buzzin' .

No suggestions but that would drive me crackers.....

Can you get a little buzzer and press it every time she says it??

Could it be a mild verbal tic? I know a lady that says a certain phrase, and she says it repeatedly but It is actually a verbal tic (not just something to annoy people 👍)

Get some stick on bees from a craft shop and litter her desk with them.

I'd buzzin murder her.

Max - I love that idea.

Vila - it's more of a habit. She doesn't use it in meetings with big bosses so I'm confident it isn't out of her control.

Ask her if she's aware how often she says it? You can do it in a casual, matter-of-fact way. Might be just the jolt she needs

I had a colleague like this, he was buzzing about everything and everything was EPIC!

He’s a lovely guy but it comes across as quite immature and was definitely grating after a while.

At least it's not her foof

I like Max's idea too

I think you need to find your own buzzword to repeat back to her every time she says buzzin' - the more obscure the better

Make a joke out of it. Nicely. She says buzzin you say like a bee in a light friendly tone. It will alert her to how damn often she says it.

Keep a tally chart and visibly check it each time. Eventually she will ask why. Tell her!

Ah, I've just thought of one "cool beanz".

A, younger, client once used it in an email to me. I got the gist, but did, eventually, ask him and he admitted he didn't really know, but had picked it up from some even younger colleagues of his!! This was many years ago though, so "cool beanz" has probably had its day. But .......

You have to say something back every time. Even if it doesn't stop the buzzin', it'll help your sanity.

I worked with someone who had a verbal tic like this. She would say “are you with me?” about sixteen times every conversation. I never snapped but came very close

Okay, here is my plan. I can't ask her directly as she will get upset and I don't want to do that. She is nice enough but uses bravado to hide insecurity so I don't want to make her feel worse. But for my own sanity every couple of times I'll turn it into an odd phrase.

buzzing...

• like a busy bee
• like a vibrator on valentine's Day
• like a teen on their first E

Light and funny way to deal with it or twaty and passive aggressive?

A bit passive aggressive maybe. Why not start replying to her questions by saying ‘buzzin’ Then maybe she’ll be hearing it so much she’ll come up with something else to say?

@WingsofNylon passive aggressive to go down that route, and could also potentially get you in trouble with HR if she chooses to report you, and you could upset her.

It would drive me nuts too, like when someone I know always says everything is 'awesome' - how are you doing? 'Awesome' how was your weekend 'Awesome'

Problem is, this is one of those situations where someone else is irritating you, but you could ultimately wind up looking like the arse.

Just one of the many joys of the workplace I'm afraid, just gonna have to suck it up.

Do you by any chance work for a company beginning with s?

I used to know someone who used the phrase "this little puppy" for whatever thing they were referring to.

So a 4 way plug socket would be this little puppy
A cup of tea - this little puppy
His new car - this little puppy
A jam donut - this little puppy

(I don't think he actually had a real life puppy though!)

Do a “bad habit jar” allocate everyone bad habits (mine was saying sorry) 10p in the jar everytime.

Other bad habits included calling me by a variation of my name, forgetting to sign in, calling people by other people’s names etc etc so all of you get a bad habit.

Bet it Stops. Mine did!

Play this every time she says it.