(Out of Pocket is an annoying business term and is just one of the 212 Most Annoying Business Phrases Managers Effuse, Confuse, and Overuse detailed in the hilarious must-have guide for every workplace: The 30,000-Pound Gorilla in the Room. Available right now on Amazon.)

Out of Pocket

Somehow, someway we’ve managed to morph the meaning of paying for something yourself into describing one’s unavailability.

We blame laziness. Laziness in business language and laziness in the average manager.

Out of pocket once defined (and should to this day) the act of paying for something without the use of company (or insurance company) funds. Today – at least for the most annoying in your office – it means “I’m unavailable.”

Ugh; exasperating.

Explaining that you’re out of pocket when we are trying to schedule a meeting with you tells us you’re an idiot who doesn’t understand the English language. You’re not out of pocket. You might be out of the country; out of the office; out of your freaking mind – but, and this we’re certain of, you are not out of pocket.

Out of pocket should certainly beg the question, “Which pocket?”

Truthfully however, diving into this one any deeper gives us a headache. Please, for the love of human decency, stop saying out of pocket to describe your unavailability; it’s not even close to what you mean.

Replacement phrases: Unavailable; Out of the office

See also: Could Care Less

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The 30,000-Pound Gorilla in the Room is available on Amazon