To be irritated by the term "reaching out"?

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When what is meant is "contacting"?

I recently left a comment on a company's FB page with some suggestions as to how they could improve their service. A company rep has now replied and their response starts "Hi Page, thanks for reaching out to us..."

I didn't reach out to you! I contacted you. The only time I "reach out" is to grab something that's arm's length away. I'm not a needy supplicant approaching you with my arms stretched out.

It's not the first time I've seen this used, so AIBU to dislike the creeping replacement of a perfectly serviceable, no-nonsense word like "contacting" with this wank?

(And yes, before anyone wonders, obviously this is all I have to worry about; all wars are over, famine has been eradicated, we're all wonderfully equal and tolerant, free unicorns all round and so now I can get onto worrying about the really important stuff )

Yy to all of these.

Also "on point" as in "yes, you're on point". Hate it.

We had a training session at work which was about "thought leadership". WTAF?

Oh bugger. I now have a 4 tops earworm (thanks, NewPotato) which I fear will recur now whenever a colleague uses that damned phrase.

I had someone email me at work claiming to have reached out to a third party about something.

We're bloody accountants, if an accountant is reaching out isn't a good reason to run away as fast as you can, I don't know what is!

You mean they've stopped "shooting from the hip" and "thinking outside the box"? No more "blue sky thinking"? Lord, I must be well out of date these days!

They've always come up with irritating management-speak drivel, but I admit I do cringe every time I hear "reaching out".

Another ubiquitous and lazy phrase that I find intensely irritating is "my heart goes out to..." - no it doesn't - that's physically impossible!

DH has just told me he says "going forwards" at work and sees nothing wrong with doing so.

From now on I'm going to reply to "reach out" by singing IIIII'LL BE THERE at the top of my voice. And could even sing 'going forward' to the tune of 'going loco'.

'Yes let's acapulcise this meeting. The magic down here is so strong.'

'Toolkit' used to describe a load of bits of paper telling you how to do something. A toolkit contains actual physical tools IMO.

'Bundle' more bits of paper describing an intervention - the 'catheter bundle'

My oh took "verbing" to a new low the other night when he told me some departments at his work were being "offshored".

As Calvin said, verbing weirds language.

Fran -too much to hope that he's a train driver or suchlike?

Closely associated with 'reach out' is 'connect with', as in, 'I connected with X'. It means 'I spoke to'.

Reaching out...
I touch her shoulder...
Electric eyes are everywhere.

No, he's not a train driver. He works in an office. I really cannot believe he uses it. It's like I don't even know him.

LTB Fran.

Alexei Sale was dead on when he said "anyone who uses workshop outside of light engineering is a twat".

I spent a long time trying to work out what "self actualisation" actually means. That's minutes hours of my life I won't get back.

The local housebuilder has a big sign on the showhome saying "your journey starts here". What journey? I'm buying a house, not going on a round the world cruise.

Ooh this is a comforting thread. I work in an extremely British, non-touchy-feely office, and weirdly they all seem to have embraced using "piece" when they mean "thing" or "project", as in, "Have we sorted out the Coca-Cola piece?". WTF.

I once had a guy (with a banking background) tell me he was going to insert himself into a meeting I'd organised. That actually momentarily silenced me, as it was so ridiculous.

I still have the earworm. Grr.

'Going forward' is a pet peeve of mine too and seems to be used a lot with psychs and counsellors. eg. 'So what can we do to help you in going forward?' 'What do you need to put in place in order to go forward?' Umm...stop using that phrase for a start!

Well, I detest 'reach out' and 'going forward'.

But, to implement some blue-sky thinking...it is what it is.

at inserted himself into a meeting.

I really hate the term 'reaching out'. Makes me think of some zombie wobbling towards me with arms outstretched. And they can shove 'going forward' up their management speak bum too.

Someone asked me to "flip it" last week.

I'm writing on a flip chart, not tossing pancakes you complete and utter plank.

I've also heard 'let's blue sky it'. Somewhere in the world, a page of an OED shrivels and died.

Oh god yes!! My loved ones are tired of me going on about this, but it makes me really, really mental. Tanith, yes "our hearts go out to". No they don't. I'm not normally an overly literal person, but all these ... going outwards, it's all very active and phony and emotional. Did anyone talk like this before Princess Diana died? Is this what started all this "reaching out" where contacting used to do so well. Or "hearts going out" where "we feel badly for x in this situation" made a lot more sense.

I cannot wait for the madness to pass. Around the same time, in Canada, national media started pronouncing it Key-yanada. And now it's spreading to the general population. Also driving me bonkers.

I could have started this thread! I work for a US company and people say "reach out" all the time. What really drives me made though, is the non US people picking it up. Can't stand it.

I asked someone who uses the phrase to justify it and her argument was that reach out covers all methods of contact. so by using it she is allowing whoever she has instructed to make the descision on the best method. Fine but 'contact' would work the same. She then added it could be used when she has contacted but not necessarily had contact back. I don't hate it but I try not to use it.

Watching a film atm and thought of this thread as someone said to Lily Tomlin ' I'm going to have to ask you to leave' and she replied ' when are you going to ask me?'