(Take it Offline 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.)

Take it Offline

“Can we take it offline?” is sometimes a legitimate request, though mostly it’s used as a weak way to brush off a pesky subordinate trying just a bit too hard.

You hear this one when annoying managers request certain discussions be curtailed until a more appropriate time by asking the speaker, “Can we take if offline?”

What they’re really saying is simply, “What you want to discuss is not important to me, so I’m going to ask you to shut the hell up for the rest of the meeting.”

When you hear it, you know your miserable, self-important boss wants you and your coworkers to discuss your idea amongst yourselves… on your time. Of course, you’re thinking, “Well, lah-dee-dah! He’s too busy, too important, or too stupid to hear my ideas? I suppose I’ll spend the rest of the day searching online for a new gig or simply surfing horrendous websites on my company computer. What I’m not going to do is anything productive.”

This one’s annoying because it’s insulting, overused by jerk bosses, and it’s unnecessarily passive-aggressive. It’s a weak move.

We’d all have more respect for the manager if he just told us the truth. Of course, if you want to hear the truth in your office, you’ll probably have to take it offline.

Replacement phrases: No replacement needed, just start telling the truth. After all, we’re told it will set you free.

See also: Put it on the Back Burner; Put a Pin in It

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