| Race without a finish line [n.] | A frantic effort without a clearly defined goal. "I see you clowns racing, but where's the damn finish line?"
Suggested by Mark N. |
| Ramp up [v.] | To increase over a period of time. |
| Rasterbator [n.] | A person who uses photo-editing software compulsively. |
| RDB [n.] | Rectal DataBase. The origin of ideas that are pulled out of one's ass. |
| Reach out [v.] | To contact. A dramatic way of saying a very mundane thing.
"I'll have my people reach out sometime next week."
Submitted by Denis |
| Real-time [adj.] | Distinguishes voice communication from email and text. "75 reply threads and you're nowhere. Get on the horn and deal with this in real-time."
Submitted by Jeff. |
| Recontextualize [v.] | To redefine an organization's role in a given business environment. Who can actually say this word with a straight face?? |
| Red flag [n.] | Warning sign. |
| Reduction in Force (RIF) [n.] | One of the many euphemisms used to describe firing people. |
| Referenceability [n.] | A measure of a firm's ability to gather positive references and case studies from its clients.
Submitted by Lisa G. |
| Rent-a-quote [n.] | 'Experts' for hire that are prized for their ability to provide convincing sound-bites. |
| Repurpose [v.] | To redefine how an item is used, often as an alternative to discarding it. "If we don't repurpose this production line, we're going to waste $2 million in capital." |
| Resonate [v.] | To appeal to someone on a fundamental level. "This new model will really resonate with the youth market." |
| Resource [n.] | References anything that will be used to complete a task, whether it be a stapler or a person. Usually helps managers strip away the humanity from their employees before making hard choices.
Submitted by Renee. |
| Resource-intensive [adj.] | Expensive. |
| Responsibility curve [n.] | The collection of things for which one is responsible. "Accounts Receivable is not part of my responsibility curve."
Submitted by Dave C. |
| Resume stain [n.] | A job (or company) that looks so terrible that you'd rather leave it off your resume. |
| Retired in place (RIP'ed) [adj.] | Describes a 'tenured' employee who still holds a position, but generally does nothing but count the days until retirement.
Submitted by Mark D. |
| Retread [v.] | To implement a failed idea for the second time.
Submitted by Matt F. |
| Reverse infallibility [exp.] | Describes a person who is always wrong.
Submitted by Just Some Poor Schmuck |
| Ride herd [v.] | From a cowboy expression meaning to observe and control closely. "Jill, I need you to ride heard on this project."
Submitted by aclassicgirl. |
| Right-shoring [v.] | Distributing operations to the most profitable location, instead of assuming that offshore options are inherently superior.
Submitted by Aaron D. |
| Right-sizing [v.] | A gentler way of saying downsizing (firing). Whatever you call it, you'll still be cleaning out your desk this afternoon. |
| Road map [n.] | A plan for dealing with upcoming business challenges. Your boss is probably just as lost when he's behind the wheel. |
| Robust dialog [n.] | A productive conversation between co-workers involving open, honest discussion. Usually this translates to two a**holes shouting at each other.
Submitted by Christina. |
| Rocking a pair of doobs [v.] | Wearing boat/deck shoes (Dubarrys) in a business setting.
Submitted by Chrissie. |
| Rolling the tortoise [v.] | Excessively increasing resources to accelerate an otherwise slow-moving project. "I'm pulling in ten extra bodies for this - we're really rolling the tortoise here..."
Submitted by Nigel. |
| Round file [n.] | The garbage pail. "This sales brochure is going straight into the round file." |
| Royal jelly [n.] | 1) The substance that bees rub onto an immature female to cause her to transform into a queen.
2) The flashy projects and good assignments that are constantly fed to someone the boss is grooming for promotion.
"Debra's been getting a ton of royal jelly lately, you think she'll remember us when she makes VP?"
Submitted by Randy D. |
| Rub my rhubarb [exp.] | To be irritated in a particularly annoying or painful way. "These whiny new interns are really starting to rub my rhubarb."
Submitted by Luke K. |
| Rubber check [n.] | A bounced check. |
| Rubber stamp [n.] | Approval. "Can I get your rubber stamp on this one?" |
| Rube Goldberg [adj.] | Describes an inefficient and overly complex solution. |
| Rug ranking [exp.] | When the career of an assistant is tied to that of his or her boss. |
| Run it up the flagpole [exp.] | To find out what colleagues think of a new idea.
Submitted by Patti |
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