Saying that you are an expert in social media is like saying you are an expert at sending faxes or talking on the phone.

I vote that we officially eliminate the following from the workplace English language:

Dial back

Any person born after 1985 doesn’t even know what a dial is. If you’re lucky they might think you are referring to a bar of soap but really they think you are an antique and better suited for collecting dust in their grandmother’s attic than spewing your archaic ideas and getting in the way of actual progress.

Social Media Expert

Saying that you are an expert in social media is like saying you are an expert at sending faxes or talking on the phone. IT IS A COMMUNICATION TOOL. If you say you are a social media expert then you probably also walk around telling people you’re a “letter writing expert” and an “email expert.”

Cartoon by Hugh MacLeod

Reach Out

You were obviously a partner at a consulting firm in 1992. Nobody says this but you.

Thought Leader

Please tell me what a “thought leader” is. Were you the very first person ever in the history of the universe to think this particular thought? Because that’s what it sounds like you’re saying and even if you are delusional enough to think this is actually true then please prove it.

Bandwidth via @sullivanmarkd

Unless you work for a cable or telecom company you have no reason to ever use this word.

FTW

“I’m going to get my oil changed FTW!” and “My kid lost his first tooth FTW!” and “Just vacuumed my keyboard FTW!”

Seriously. Stop it.

A-player / A-list / Bring your A-game / Game-changer

Are we at a baseball game or are we in a meeting.

Incentive-ize via @jamesdobra

That is so not even a word.

Other words and phrases I’d like to abolish:

• ANYTHING “2.0″
• We’re not curing cancer here
• From the frying pan into the fire
• Top Talent
• Off the grid
• Content
• Authentic
• Rhetoric (typical offenders are MSM and politicians)
• Energize the base (also MSM and politicians)

Many people on Twitter were eager to share what they do not ever want to hear again:

@sullivanmarkd

• Not to sound cliche

@adowling

• At the end of the day

@EASTeam

• Dear valued customer

@Glennlist

• War on Talent (“the war is over!”)

@HeatherHartmann

• Transparency

@rustytanton

• Touch base

@MNHeadhunter

• Raising it to the next level
• Thinking outside the box

@adamsconsulting

• To be honest with you
• Rocket Science
• My two cents
• Pushing the envelope
• Back to the drawing board
• Bite the bullet
• Hit the nail on the head
• Add insult to injury
• Beat a dead horse

@BradConley

• Polished and professional

@sarahcannon

• Synergy

@sbjet

• Rockstar

@DarrylRMSG

• Holistic
• Gaining traction
• Ping me
• Offline
• Web 2.0
• Recession proof

@PolyPlacements

• Silos

Please feel free to share! What would you like to add to the list?

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