"Reaching out"

[Calculuses]

DS has had an email from a recruiter "reaching out" over a job.

I said "Yuck". I don't like it, it's not the language I'd expect to see in business correspondence.

DS thinks I'm odd "I swear everyone says it".

Do the? I don't think any of my friends or professional contacts could use it without cringing.

Definitely yuck. I can't stand "reaching out" - it seems to have replaced "contacted", which is a good plain neutral term. "Reaching out" carries a sentimental emotional load which I find slightly stomach-turning, and has been misused so often, I can't even think back to its original usage. You are so right.

It’s absolutely awful. But so common in my workplace that I now find myself using it without the massive air quotes that I used to have to deploy to show my contempt.

I don't like it, though not surprised to see it being used. Has become overused almost as much as literally.

Though there are worse, as the thread about corporate phrases last week showed.

It is used commonly but I absolutely hate it. Only acceptable if you are one of the Four Tops.

Should be reserved for members of the Four Tops but sadly slipping into common parlance.

It’s along the same lines of “thank you for sharing…” , “we must be mindful of” and stuff like that. It’s time filling twaddle.

Everyone uses this phrase but I hate it too 🤮. So needy.

Businesses have been “reaching out” for about a decade OP - and I’ve been on at least one other thread this week where it’s been mentioned as a pet hate of nearly everyone. Can’t believe this is the first time you’ve come across it tbh.

I cannot bear this phrase. What’s wrong with ‘get in touch with’ or ‘contact’.

From where, and when did this hideous phrase enter the English language?

When Im checking reports and statements I change this to 'contacted'.

Used all the time in my company (US head office), I hated it when I started but find myself using it now!

I'm afraid he's right.

Most of the people I work with are in the US, there's a lot of 'reaching out'. Also touching base etc.

The latest astonishing piece of 'business-speak' to have reached us is the 'love mark'. Apparently 'brands' are passé, and senior management seem to be using this term seriously. The rest of us... not so much, I'm indulging in quite a bit of childish sniggering. It's a good thing I wfh and we don't have video on in zoom meetings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lovemark

"I swear everyone says it".

Do they?

Only if they're a member of the Four Tops.

(But sadly people who should know better do use it. I've seen it on the BBC website. What wrong with 'contacting' someone?)

Brilliant!

There was a great thread a few days ago about the ever increasing use of 'corporate speak' like this.

It's awful, isn't it. I tease my husband if I hear him using this stuff!

I first heard "reach out" used to mean contact about 16 years ago at a school reunion. It was used by someone who had lived in the states for a long time. It stuck in my head as I was totally bewildered by it. Something like "thanks for reaching out to me". Er, no-one reached out- it was an invitation on Facebook 🤣

I hate it. It sounds so wet and wishy washy.

Thanks for reaching out with this one, OP 🤪

I work for an American company, not only do they reach out on a regular basis, we are instructed to reach back if we don’t understand something. It’s like corporate hokey cokey.