I can't correct my boss, can I?
March 26, 2012 2:56 PM Subscribe
My bosses misuse words in very official, very important documents. Can I do anything about this?
I'm at a new job as the lowest person on the totem pole in a law firm, and it's driving me nuts that the attorneys in my office send out extremely important templated letters with tons of misused words. For instance, instead of saying they'll get back to a client, they always write, "We will revert back to you." They write "magnanimous" to describe something large. "Consequently" appears at random, such as "Consequently look over these documents for review, then revert back to us." They use "utilize" in place of "use" (which drives me crazy, but I know isn't as obnoxious as the other misuses).
Is there anything I can do about this? My instinct is to keep my head down and shut up, but I can't help but worry the firm is embarrassing itself. I also hate signing my (very unusual) name to these documents; it's such a small world that eventually someone I know will receive one. I once made a small correction to a letter before it was sent out (I took out the word "irregardless") and received a friendly reminder from an attorney that I'm meant to follow THE EXACT TEMPLATE they give me when I write letters.
Please let me know if there's any delicate way I can bring this up with my superiors or if I should just do the easy thing and keep this to myself. I don't want to be seen as the stuck-up new person who doesn't understand office hierarchy but it's sort of mortifying.
I'm at a new job as the lowest person on the totem pole in a law firm, and it's driving me nuts that the attorneys in my office send out extremely important templated letters with tons of misused words. For instance, instead of saying they'll get back to a client, they always write, "We will revert back to you." They write "magnanimous" to describe something large. "Consequently" appears at random, such as "Consequently look over these documents for review, then revert back to us." They use "utilize" in place of "use" (which drives me crazy, but I know isn't as obnoxious as the other misuses).
Is there anything I can do about this? My instinct is to keep my head down and shut up, but I can't help but worry the firm is embarrassing itself. I also hate signing my (very unusual) name to these documents; it's such a small world that eventually someone I know will receive one. I once made a small correction to a letter before it was sent out (I took out the word "irregardless") and received a friendly reminder from an attorney that I'm meant to follow THE EXACT TEMPLATE they give me when I write letters.
Please let me know if there's any delicate way I can bring this up with my superiors or if I should just do the easy thing and keep this to myself. I don't want to be seen as the stuck-up new person who doesn't understand office hierarchy but it's sort of mortifying.
FWIW, I also see "revert" in my workplace, like "please review and revert with any questions." I also find it bizarre but chalk it up to strange corporate lingo.
posted by andrewesque at 3:02 PM on March 26, 2012
posted by andrewesque at 3:02 PM on March 26, 2012
"Consequently look over these documents for review, then revert back to us."
Without knowing the greater context, some of these may actually not be a problem. For example, consequently means "as a result" and revert may have a contextual meaning that implies "the document is passed to another to allow a subsequent action to be taken."
"(As a result of an action), look over these documents for review, then (send them back to us and we will take another action)."
Oh, it's jargony as hell. But incorrect? Not so fast there.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 3:04 PM on March 26, 2012 [2 favorites]
Without knowing the greater context, some of these may actually not be a problem. For example, consequently means "as a result" and revert may have a contextual meaning that implies "the document is passed to another to allow a subsequent action to be taken."
"(As a result of an action), look over these documents for review, then (send them back to us and we will take another action)."
Oh, it's jargony as hell. But incorrect? Not so fast there.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 3:04 PM on March 26, 2012 [2 favorites]
Keep it to yourself. (I, too, would want to speak up. But it isn't necessary to do so, so don't endanger your job by pointing out to these attorneys that they are mangling language.)
Exception: if someone ASKS you to proof and edit a document.
posted by bearwife at 3:07 PM on March 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
Exception: if someone ASKS you to proof and edit a document.
posted by bearwife at 3:07 PM on March 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
(I took out the word "irregardless")
Oh, no. I feel for you. But I think you should wait until you're a little less new to take this on, or even to consider taking this on. After some time has passed and you know more about the people you work with, you'll know if you have a like-minded potential ally higher up the food chain, which you'll need to navigate something this delicate.
Oh, it's jargony as hell. But incorrect? Not so fast there.
I'm with you on revert, but I think the OP is pointing out a use of consequently which isn't consequent of anything.
posted by Your Time Machine Sucks at 3:08 PM on March 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
Oh, no. I feel for you. But I think you should wait until you're a little less new to take this on, or even to consider taking this on. After some time has passed and you know more about the people you work with, you'll know if you have a like-minded potential ally higher up the food chain, which you'll need to navigate something this delicate.
Oh, it's jargony as hell. But incorrect? Not so fast there.
I'm with you on revert, but I think the OP is pointing out a use of consequently which isn't consequent of anything.
posted by Your Time Machine Sucks at 3:08 PM on March 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
I once made a small correction to a letter before it was sent out (I took out the word "irregardless") and received a friendly reminder from an attorney that I'm meant to follow THE EXACT TEMPLATE they give me when I write letters.
That's your answer. Not only do they not want your help, but they're actively refusing it. Not your problem.
posted by Snarl Furillo at 3:08 PM on March 26, 2012 [27 favorites]
That's your answer. Not only do they not want your help, but they're actively refusing it. Not your problem.
posted by Snarl Furillo at 3:08 PM on March 26, 2012 [27 favorites]
Don't piss up a flagpole
keep quiet
posted by BadgerDoctor at 3:08 PM on March 26, 2012 [2 favorites]
keep quiet
posted by BadgerDoctor at 3:08 PM on March 26, 2012 [2 favorites]
I'm not sure about your "magnanimous" example, but their use of "consequently" and "revert" seem pretty typical, especially in legal documents. Most legal words have scrupulously exact meanings, and some appear archaic, but they are usually carefully chosen, or used in recognized patterns to mean specific things.
So, hush, for now. Don't "fix" templates; they will be using wording that everyone has agreed to. Your changing of words might change the interpretation.
posted by scruss at 3:12 PM on March 26, 2012
So, hush, for now. Don't "fix" templates; they will be using wording that everyone has agreed to. Your changing of words might change the interpretation.
posted by scruss at 3:12 PM on March 26, 2012
Maybe it's a regional thing. "Revert" is not a legal term - in the context of the OP's example. (It is a legal term in connection with certain real estate interests.)
posted by megatherium at 3:16 PM on March 26, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by megatherium at 3:16 PM on March 26, 2012 [2 favorites]
It doesn't sound to me like the "irregardless" experience is directly probative. Taking that out before sending was your error; maybe things would have been different if you had flagged the issue to someone above you, or had suggested a possible change to the template.
I think you have special equities in this if your name is going at the bottom.
That said, it drives me nuts when people make corrections that are *not* correct, so you would have to be very, very sure that something fails any descriptive or prescriptive standards. I have the sense that you are pulling the trigger very quickly; some of this prose seems to be written in a very casual style that probably merits even greater slack than usual.
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 3:30 PM on March 26, 2012
I think you have special equities in this if your name is going at the bottom.
That said, it drives me nuts when people make corrections that are *not* correct, so you would have to be very, very sure that something fails any descriptive or prescriptive standards. I have the sense that you are pulling the trigger very quickly; some of this prose seems to be written in a very casual style that probably merits even greater slack than usual.
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 3:30 PM on March 26, 2012
Office humour.
Our boss says Pacificially when we presume he means Specifically. No one pulls him up on it, it's his problem.
posted by mattoxic at 3:31 PM on March 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
Our boss says Pacificially when we presume he means Specifically. No one pulls him up on it, it's his problem.
posted by mattoxic at 3:31 PM on March 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
Nothing to gain, lots to lose. Keep your silence and consider employment elsewhere.
posted by tommasz at 3:50 PM on March 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by tommasz at 3:50 PM on March 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
Donʻt bother. Use correct language in your own documents. Maybe he will catch on.
posted by fifilaru at 3:53 PM on March 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by fifilaru at 3:53 PM on March 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
Welcome to the working world. If the document wasn't littered with jargon, then the mid-level managers would be unable to parse it properly.
posted by LeanGreen at 4:03 PM on March 26, 2012
posted by LeanGreen at 4:03 PM on March 26, 2012
I feel for you (seriously, you should see some of the shit that professors pass out to students around here) but nothing good can come from trying to address this. Save your frustration for drunken commiserations with non-coworker friends.
posted by Scientist at 4:29 PM on March 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Scientist at 4:29 PM on March 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
Here to confirm, as some have stated above, that the "revert" language is common.
posted by Shebear at 4:30 PM on March 26, 2012
posted by Shebear at 4:30 PM on March 26, 2012
You have to consider your risk/reward for situations like this. Risk, being fired, reward very minor improvement that does not improve your situation or standing.
posted by Felex at 4:32 PM on March 26, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by Felex at 4:32 PM on March 26, 2012 [2 favorites]
Revert has a legal meaning of 'return to previous owner' and in this context is not incorrect so much as it is informal. I agree with you on irregardless though, it's awful. I would have to speak up about that. I am iffy on consequently ... I would probably be all wide eyed and ask "Consequently on what?" until they got sick of it and rewrote the damn template.
I agree though that this is not worth your job. If a letter goes out under your name, you should be able to word it how you like. Otherwise, I would leave it well alone.
posted by yogalemon at 4:35 PM on March 26, 2012
I agree though that this is not worth your job. If a letter goes out under your name, you should be able to word it how you like. Otherwise, I would leave it well alone.
posted by yogalemon at 4:35 PM on March 26, 2012
You know what they mean, just don't reuse words the same way unless they become part of the internal taxonomy.
posted by rhizome at 4:37 PM on March 26, 2012
posted by rhizome at 4:37 PM on March 26, 2012
Grin and bare it. Take solace in the fact that even if you do have to sign your name to these documents, people who do business with your company are probably well aware of their grammatical shortcomings, and after you move on to a better job, their templatastic stylings will most likely continue; in other words, people will know it wasn't you. Instead of gritting your teeth in frustration, why not make a game out it and put a quarter in your mental piggy bank every time you find a mistake? That would be an easy way to save for your vacation!
posted by LuckySeven~ at 5:23 PM on March 26, 2012
posted by LuckySeven~ at 5:23 PM on March 26, 2012
Grin and bare it.Giggle! Apropos for the thread (should be "bear it").
Agreeing with everyone else, don't make a deal out of it. When I was in an office that constantly used "transmittal" and "submittal", I winced internally at it and used transmission/submission myself, but I never tried to correct my supervisors.
posted by kavasa at 5:37 PM on March 26, 2012 [2 favorites]
I would ask "do you want these copyedited before they go out?" If you have a good relationship I would then add "because you've used irregardless here, and that's not a word". If not, just ask the general question. It may be part of your job and expected. If your boss answers no, time to grin and bear it for now and look for a different job (if it bugs you enough, as it would me).
posted by goo at 5:43 PM on March 26, 2012
posted by goo at 5:43 PM on March 26, 2012
Lawyers spend an enormous amount of time, energy, and attention on fine-tuning the precise wording of their documents. They need to be able to trust that their support staff will not make unsolicited changes. I am as grammar-Nazi as they come, but I would rather know that my staff are going to deliver exactly what I give them, than be assured that they are going to correct my grammatical errors.
Incidentally, to those explaining "revert" -- I take it the OP's issue is with "revert back", which is redundant, and not with "revert", which is commonly-used jargon.
posted by foursentences at 5:45 PM on March 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
Incidentally, to those explaining "revert" -- I take it the OP's issue is with "revert back", which is redundant, and not with "revert", which is commonly-used jargon.
posted by foursentences at 5:45 PM on March 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
Sometimes and in some places the misuse of various elements of Standard American English is the workplace standard.
I suffer with it daily and sometime slip in some of my own to see if they're noticed. They never are.
I don't know why yet, but I have a feeling that the folks perpetrating this kind of stuff actually KNOW what they're doing.
posted by snsranch at 5:54 PM on March 26, 2012
I suffer with it daily and sometime slip in some of my own to see if they're noticed. They never are.
I don't know why yet, but I have a feeling that the folks perpetrating this kind of stuff actually KNOW what they're doing.
posted by snsranch at 5:54 PM on March 26, 2012
Mod note: This absolutely needs to not turn into a peevology debate on "irregardless". Please stick to the substance of the question. Thank you.
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:19 PM on March 26, 2012
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:19 PM on March 26, 2012
I would want you to correct my errors -- and call them to my attention, not just do it, because I could know something that you don't.
That said, from the reaction, it sounds pretty clear that they don't want you to do that here. So... don't.
posted by J. Wilson at 6:33 PM on March 26, 2012
That said, from the reaction, it sounds pretty clear that they don't want you to do that here. So... don't.
posted by J. Wilson at 6:33 PM on March 26, 2012
Couldn't you ask around the office? Maybe casually mention to someone in a similar position to yours "hey doesn't the use of these words seem out of place?".
Possibly you are the first person who has noticed it before. Maybe everyone has noticed but just puts up with it. Maybe the guy before you was let go for spending valuable lawyer time talking about grammatical oddities. A quick casual question at lunch time or something should clear it up for you. The situation doesn't have to be a choice between "sit there and say nothing" or "go to the CEO and demand grammatical correctness".
I would scope out, in a relaxed fashion, what the rest of your colleagues think.
posted by Admira at 6:33 PM on March 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
Possibly you are the first person who has noticed it before. Maybe everyone has noticed but just puts up with it. Maybe the guy before you was let go for spending valuable lawyer time talking about grammatical oddities. A quick casual question at lunch time or something should clear it up for you. The situation doesn't have to be a choice between "sit there and say nothing" or "go to the CEO and demand grammatical correctness".
I would scope out, in a relaxed fashion, what the rest of your colleagues think.
posted by Admira at 6:33 PM on March 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
Bosses are dumb. This is normal. Accept it.
posted by wutangclan at 6:37 PM on March 26, 2012
posted by wutangclan at 6:37 PM on March 26, 2012
My lawyer uses 'revert' which makes my colleagues and I cringe a bit, but we put up with it because everything else is absolutely on the ball (and according to yogalemon it turns out there is a legal meaning after all).
Seeing 'irregardless' in a communication from a lawyer would be a HUGE red flag to me, to the extent that I would begin to distrust that lawyer's ability to prepare legal docs. Even outside of legal docs, I pay my lawyer to explain things clearly, not using jargon, and would quickly tire of the lack of clear English your bosses seem to display.
Fixing it is not your problem, but being able to respect your bosses and please your clients might be. If it were me, I'd ask "Sorry I'm new here, but I have a fresh pair of eyes. I noticed a few things that don't make sense to me, and I'm worried they might confuse clients too. Can I ask you about them?" then wait.
Then, when the opportunity comes, frame it like this: "What is the reason to use 'irregardless' here rather than 'regardless'? It's one of those words that everyone thinks is in the dictionary but isn't, and I'm worried a client might pick up on it and raise an eyebrow." - it couched in curiosity, concern for clients, and doesn't blame anyone.
If your bosses do anything less than appreciate the feedback and change the template (or provide a valid reason why they can't), then screw them and begin looking for a place where your contributions are valued.
posted by cogat at 1:47 AM on March 27, 2012
Seeing 'irregardless' in a communication from a lawyer would be a HUGE red flag to me, to the extent that I would begin to distrust that lawyer's ability to prepare legal docs. Even outside of legal docs, I pay my lawyer to explain things clearly, not using jargon, and would quickly tire of the lack of clear English your bosses seem to display.
Fixing it is not your problem, but being able to respect your bosses and please your clients might be. If it were me, I'd ask "Sorry I'm new here, but I have a fresh pair of eyes. I noticed a few things that don't make sense to me, and I'm worried they might confuse clients too. Can I ask you about them?" then wait.
Then, when the opportunity comes, frame it like this: "What is the reason to use 'irregardless' here rather than 'regardless'? It's one of those words that everyone thinks is in the dictionary but isn't, and I'm worried a client might pick up on it and raise an eyebrow." - it couched in curiosity, concern for clients, and doesn't blame anyone.
If your bosses do anything less than appreciate the feedback and change the template (or provide a valid reason why they can't), then screw them and begin looking for a place where your contributions are valued.
posted by cogat at 1:47 AM on March 27, 2012
Eventually, one of these poorly chosen words or misplaced commas will cost them time and money. Don't leave yourself open to blame. If, despite the best efforts you make based on the comments above, you are still in the position of publishing something you find dubious, be sure to keep anything documenting that your final product matches the request made by your boss. (Ideally, version tracking happens for all documents.)
posted by whatzit at 3:16 AM on March 27, 2012
posted by whatzit at 3:16 AM on March 27, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
If you value your position, do not point out that your bosses are being incompetent. They will find reason to get rid of you. I speak from experience.
posted by dunkadunc at 3:02 PM on March 26, 2012 [14 favorites]