Jargon translator: a survival guide for new hires in chat rooms
One of the most important soft skills that helps you smoothly integrate into a new team and understand your co-workers is mastering the common workplace jargon. Some words, phrases, and acronyms may look like a foreign language. Still, they are commonly used among professionals in chat rooms and business correspondence. Our blog post will help you better understand your co-workers and avoid confusion in chat rooms.
Common workplace jargon in chat rooms and business emails
If you know the meaning of commonly used office acronyms and phrases, you won't feel frustrated or misunderstand your co-workers. Here is the list of acronyms you can often see in chat rooms and business emails:
| Term | Translation | Hidden meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ASAP | As soon as possible | I need it urgently |
| FYI | For your information | You should take this into account |
| EOD / COB | End of day / Close of business | You need to finish the task today |
| IMO / IMHO | In my (humble) opinion | This is what I think |
| TBD / TBA | To be determined/announced | The decision has not been made yet |
| TL:DR | Too long: did not read | Here's the short version |
| MVP | Minimum viable product | The simplest version that works |
| BRB / AFK | Be right back / Away from keyboard | Stepped away for a few minutes |
| ICYMI | In case you missed it | This is something you have not seen yet |
| +1 / 👍 | Agreement | I support this |
| ETA | Estimated time of arrival | Deadlines or delivery timing |
| N/A | No applicable | In reports or form fields |
| BTW | By the way | I just wanted to say that… |
| OOO | Out of office | I'm not at my workplace |
| PTO | Paid time off | I'm on vacation |
| HR | Human resources | Employee management |
| WFH | Work from home | I'm working from home |
| BRB | Be right back | I'll be back soon |
| TIA | Thanks in advance | Polite closure in requests |
Besides acronyms, specific phrases can often be used in office conversations. Here are some of them:
| Phrase | What it really means |
|---|---|
| Touch base | Let's check quickly |
| Ping me | Send me a message |
| Take this offline | Let's handle this privately |
| Let's circle back | I can't make a decision now |
| Loop in | Add someone to the conversation |
| Bandwidth | Time or mental capacity to do something |
| Put a pin in it | Pause the topic for now |
| Low-hanging fruit | The easiest task or opportunity |
| Big picture | The overall goal |
| Drill down | Analyze something in more detail |
| Win-win | A deal that benefits both sides |
| AT the end of the day | Ultimately |
| On the same page | Everyone understands and agrees |
| Deep dive | A detailed exploration or analysis |
| In the loop | Informed and updated |
| Best practice | The most effective method known |
| Action items | Specific tasks that come out of a meeting |
| Deliverables | Tangible results or work outputs |
| Game plan | The plan or approach |
Good knowledge of the office jargon is one of the soft skills that employees should develop. Many professionals use corporate translators to make sense of the confusing workplace jargon. In many situations, office jargon can be a barrier to clear communication. It can create confusion and slow down the working process. This type of language can alienate junior staff, non-native English speakers, or professionals unfamiliar with specific industry jargon.