---
title: Office lingo? Allow me to translate
description: When you hear office jargon like flagging, circle back, or bandwidth, do you wonder what these terms mean? Office lingo can be confusing if you struggle with communication. Here are translations.
slug: office-lingo-translate
author: Ben Samuel Shapiro
published: '2020-10-26T18:45:47.055Z'
thumbnail: https://cdn-images.understood.org/p0qf7j048i0q/2Oq9XmadhoZ62GtaxHnmEI/de078d3e411bbbda4cc3da717d7f7671/YA_Thumbnail_Set_Contentful-08.jpg
source_url: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/office-lingo-translate
lang: en
---

# Office lingo? Allow me to translate

*“Just ping me whenever you have the bandwidth to take on this report.” “Are we all aligned on this project?” “Let’s take a deep dive into this important topic.” *

You may hear people saying things like this while working or at the office. And you may be left wondering what they actually mean. These expressions, or “office lingo,” can be pretty confusing. 

## Ben’s “office lingo” glossary

Office lingo is rarely ever taught, but somehow we’re expected to know what it all means. Check out the video to see Ben break down these popular terms that you may hear around the workplace. 

- Flagging
- Putting the cart before the horse
- Ping
- Deep dive
- Bandwidth
- Aligned
- Circling back 

Learn [ways to confidently ask your boss for help](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/not-sure-how-to-ask-your-boss-for-help-try-these-sentence-starters) while on the job.

---

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