To Loathe the Phrase "Reaching Out"?

[DamnYankee]

Maybe this is just a thing in the states.
Instead of saying, "I'm contacting you because...", it's "I am reaching out because...," etc. It just seems kind of pitiful. Mental images of someone actually extending their arms pleadingly.

What jargon sets your teeth on edge?

I hate this too! It makes the act of sending an email sound like some sort of humanitarian mission.

It's awful but "Head's up" is so much worse.

hate it too OP. I imagine someone lying on the ground with an arm outstretched too.

Also hate:
Poop (an Americanism for those who find poo too crude)
My bad
Going forward
Rocked up
The gang (for your group of friends)

Gosh, I didn't think I was that fussy!

Yes I don't like it either OP. I've had "thanks for reaching out" a couple of times in the last week. I didn't "reach out", I sent you a message/email.

"Thank you for your message" is fine. No need for managerspeakbolloxmungojumbospeak.

I hate "jump on a call" too. I don't "jump" on calls, I'll phone you, or you can call me.

And if I see "impacted" in a document I go through changing it to "affected". Unless it's talking about impacted wisdom teeth!

I like it. It's friendly and warm in tone.

‘Cascade down’, as in, ‘Can you cascade this down to...’

No, but I can pass it on.

IMO a lot of people who use all this bollocky fashionable jargon can’t think in plain English, let alone write it.

I always think “reach around” and start to snigger

Fucking "pop of colour". Another Americanism, reminds me of QVC ads for shit clothes

I do that too cologne4711. I think it’s because lots of people get confused between affect and effect so they pick a different word. I also change “leverage” to “use”

Reaching out, leaning in....it’s like doing the bloody Hokey Cokey

Our children once had a book with pages into divided into three, head, body and legs, they could make up lots of different characters. We took the idea and created jargon sentences in three parts, the object was to see how many meaningless sentences we could get into our day. The Deputy Head was the most gullible, but he did have form, one of his was 'I'll drop this into your toaster and see what pops up' and he loved blue sky thinking.

I always think “reach around” and start to snigger

Hurrr hurrr. Me too.

My colleagues are OB. SESSED. With reaching out. I’m hanging in there, putting it in ironic quotation marks, but I know I’ll give up and join them soon.

I also change “leverage” to “use”

Leverage, if you must use it, has a long ee sound, leaverage.

When did 'homage', homidge, become homarge? Sounds so stupid.

My grandaughter says poop means a very wet poo because it has extra pee.

All of these. ‘Rocked’ in general, really. During lockdown there have been lots of posts on FB group pages I’m on showing what children with disabilities have been getting up to. The other day someone posted a picture of a boy with Down’s Syndrome who was apparently ‘rocking his extra chromosome’.

My DH works for a bank and uses them on work calls; it’s awful.

I think I might try to subtly combat ‘reaching out’ by then humming ‘Sweet Caroline’ for the rest of the day. People will be so fed up of the ear worms, it will drive it out.

I was going to say 'curated' too, that is the wankiest phrase ever invented. You rearranged your bookshelf and took a couple you didn't want to the charity shop, you didn't bloody curate it.

"inbox me" GRR...

'Curated' is a word which is excellent when used appropriately. Misuse dilutes its usefulness. We use 'curated' in our work in a context where it means (or meant) something more significant than 'had a bit of a tidy up'.

'Touching base'...I suppose that's a baseball idiom but surely to British ears has a whiff of fumbling behind the bike sheds?

I work with a team who are in the US, scientists rather than marketing/business types so not too much given to some of these obnoxious phrases. I must admit I quite like 'my bad' though... a lot easier than 'oh gosh, I'm so sorry I cocked up there '

Yes I hate it. Along with ‘close with’.

"A gentle reminder".

Just a reminder will do. I'm an adult, not a child who needs to be mollycoddled lest I have a tantrum at being asked to check a bleedin' Excel document.

I'm another with a filthy mind who thinks reach around 🤓

I hate the over-use of disrupted. It's a great word in the right context but if Bob from Burnley starts his own butty wagon, he is absolutely not disrupting the market.

Ramp up - it seems to be spreading as fast as the virus which accompanied its arrival.

What is wrong with ‘increase’ ?

No, YANBU.

Thank you for “sharing” (equally irritating).

I hate it too. Recruitment consultants have started using it a lot. They aren’t reaching out, they are cold calling.

I also don’t like share with.

A typical cold call from a recruiter now goes something like this - “I’m reaching out to you so that you can share your hiring plans for the next year with me.” From someone I’ve never spoken to before.

My pet hated word in the workplace is 'resource' when what's actually meant is 'people'. As in have we got enough resource to accomplish X, Y and Z?

My theory is that it's used as a mental displacement tool to stop the senior managers from feeling the pressure they're putting on those down the line from them.