Survey finds most annoying phrases people use in the workplace

"No, I hear you. You're telling me that true 'synergy' can only be achieved through 'blue-sky thinking' and giving it '110 percent,' right?" (iStock)

Ever caught yourself "giving it 100 percent" or "thinking outside of the box"? If so, you might be making your co-workers cringe.

New research suggests that seven in 10 American workers are guilty of using the most cringeworthy phrases at the office — with “give it 110 percent” the leading offender.

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The study, conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with a company called Jive Communications, looked at the communication behaviors of 2,000 American workers and compiled a list of the 40 most cringeworthy office phrases.

And if you have ever “hammered it out,” or “thought outside the box,” then you probably had many a co-worker roll their eyes after a conversation with you.

Ever stood at the water cooler and stumbled into a conversation between two co-workers? Then you’ve probably heard some utterly cringeworthy phrases like “let’s ballpark this” and “run this up the flagpole.”

To make things worse, just about 7 in 10 workers say they use these phrases out of habit. (Jive Communications)

What about “synergy”? Ranked at 13, this is a word that many people at the office can’t stand to hear.

While we’ve all gone “back to the drawing board,” 27 percent of American workers can’t help but shut down and stop listening when anyone feels the need to use such cringe-inspiring phrases at the office.

And nearly all of us have been there, whether we were the ones cringing and rolling our eyes or actually using these phrases. According to 72 percent of American workers, these annoying words and phrases are used out of habit.

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However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t token office jokesters who use cringeworthy phrases at work to test their co-workers. In fact, 29 percent of workers use these phrases for this exact purpose, and 22 percent use them for assimilation purposes.

“We’ve all been guilty of using these phrases, whether out of habit or not," said John Pope, the senior vice president of Jive Communications. "While many of these phrases are helpful in conveying a message, I think this study will open a lot of people’s eyes. It will help many of us think twice about overusing phrases in the office, as well as the best way to communicate with or motivate those we work with.”

And even as six in 10 Americans can’t even understand some of these annoying phrases they hear, it doesn’t seem like this trend is going to be ending any time soon.

As a result, while you may not understand when someone says “blue-sky thinking” or “learning the ropes,” you might just have to get used to hearing these phrases more often than not.

“These phrases definitely aren’t going anywhere anytime soon," Pope added. "There's a reason they're so well-known and exercised within office spaces. However, overuse has diluted the meaning of many phrases. If you're constantly told to give a project '110 percent,' over time it will lose its power and effect. Our goal should be to use such jargon sparingly, and when the moment calls for it."

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The Top 40 Most Cringeworthy Used Phrases at the Office:

Give 110 percent
Think outside the box
Hammer it out
Heavy lifting
Throw them under the bus
Don't count your chickens before they've hatched
Pushing the envelope
Let the cat out of the bag
Let's circle back
Win-win situation
Blue-sky thinking
Boil the ocean
Synergy
Low-hanging fruit
Take it to the next level
Barking up the wrong tree
Going forward
Let's ballpark this
Run this up the flagpole
Back to square one
There's no I in team
Back to the drawing board
Paradigm shift
Elephant in the room
Raise the bar
Drill down
Best thing since sliced bread
Deep dive
Skin in the game
Reach out
Touch base
Play hardball
Don't reinvent the wheel
Kept in the loop
The bottom line
Down the road
I'll loop you in
Hit the nail on the head
ASAP
Team player