For every yin, there is a yang. For every silver lining, there exists a cloud. And for every “40 Year-Old Virgin,” there is a “Dan in Real Life.” Such is the way of the Cru Jones Society. For every “Thing We Love,” there must be a “Thing We Hate.”

Let’s start the list.

“Drill down;” “Get into the weeds;” “Another bite of the apple;” “Run it up the flagpole.” Phrases like these do not demonstrate your business acumen; they only showcase what a jagoff the rest of world thinks you are. Every time I hear someone say something like this – or any of 100 annoying trite business-isms – I want to rip the Bluetooth right out of the offender’s ear and chuck it into the nearest storm drain. You’re not clever, you’re not cool, you’re a blow-dried windbag – a blow-dried windbag speaking in thinly-veiled code to other blow-dried windbags. The business world is already irritating enough without these idiotic, esoteric colloquialisms to further alienate corporate America from the rest of the real world. The next time you find yourself tempted to use one of these clichés, do everyone a favor and light yourself on fire instead.