Irritating Office Vocab Got You Down? Here's Some Clever Jargon for You. Banish awkward office buzzwords and use these instead.

By Entrepreneur Staff

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We've all heard our fair share of groan-worthy office speak. Vague, buzzy expressions that range from everyday culprits like "We need to think outside the box," or "Let's run this up the flagpole," to the more egregious "We can solution that." Or, better still: "Can we circle back later" and "touch base" about how to "hit the ground running" on that "disruptive" and "paradigm-shifting" "pivot?" Take pity on the employee who has been on the receiving end of something like that.

Related: Culture That Counts -- 5 Ways to Dramatically Boost Employee Satisfaction

But if you've caught one of these sayings coming out of your mouth, don't worry -- it happens to the best of us, and Entrepreneur is here to help.

We've come up with some creative alternatives to incorporate into your workplace vernacular, so take a look at the new vocab below, and check back here each month for a new turn of phrase. Until then, stay "above-bored" and try not to get stuck on any "zombie projects."

Related: How Leaders Can Cut the BS at Work and Address Real Issues

Entrepreneur Staff

Entrepreneur Staff

Editor

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