My children say exactly what they mean. There is no filter. As a parent, I spend a good deal of time asking them to watch their words and be aware of how their words might impact other people. It’s no wonder so many adults talk around what’s really on their minds. They say one thing and they mean something different. We’re conditioned to do so. Here are some of these euphemisms I’ve heard in the business setting.
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What they said was… |
…But here’s what they meant |
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“We need him to buy in to it.” |
“We will be shoving it down his throat.” |
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“I had car problems.” |
“I overslept.” |
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“I am a people person.” |
“I failed algebra.” |
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“Let’s first take a ten-minute break.” |
“I needed to go to the bathroom an hour ago.” |
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“I wonder how other companies do it.” |
“Our people are clueless.” |
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“There are too many people to thank all the ones who helped on this project.” |
“I am too far removed from the business to know who did what when.” |
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“I think that topic is best discussed over a dinner meeting.” |
“You’re too high strung to have this dialog while you are sober.” |
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“Let’s catch up with each other soon.” |
“We’ll probably never see each other again.” |
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“That’s a big idea worth exploring, but let’s keep it strictly confidential until we learn more.” |
“That’s a dumb idea that would distract the whole company if they heard that we discussed it.” |
What have you heard?
What they said was, “I have a lot of great outfielders. Want to make a trade?”
What they meant was, “Damn, why did I draft Chien Mien Wang?”