Definitely no offense meant. It just sounded so smart that you could say it in context or out of context and most people wouldn’t know what you’re talking about but would probably assume you are experienced in whatever field.
That jumped out at me as well. I'd never heard the term, but it was instantly understandable. I'm not sure I'd dismiss someone for using it. From a communication standpoint, it does a pretty good job at concisely expressing an idea.
Indeed, it is a common word in the subject areas you mentioned. Strange they didn't have an inflammatory or hostile reply when given a legitimate example of correct usage of language.
If that is the case, would you, not knowing the meaning of a word, use that word in a professional environment? And also, does not understanding the meaning of the word excuse it's use?
It really isn't that big of a deal, even though it does come off as immature.
A professional would handle it like this:
1) He or she wouldn't choose to use such phrasing himself or herself, but also won't shy away from being firm and asking hard questions if they need to be asked.
2) If somebody else chooses such wording, the professional will engage his or her thick skin and ignore it, instead focusing on the parts that actually matter. It's resolving the problem at hand that's truly important, not wasting energy getting worked up over phrasing that somebody chose to use when describing the problem.
I was merely wondering whether this word is OK to use. Do people think it rude and immature-sounding, or is it a simple term that passes without comment?
My claim is that the overwhelming majority of people have no problem understanding the label. The term is not precisely defined, and can be debated in slim gray areas, but the term does not in practice cause miscommunication in the vast majority of cases.
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