Most annoying expressions heard in your office?

Getting things started with some classic gems, but maybe you guys have better ones:

  1. "I mean I"m not going to DIE IN A DITCH over this point, but would be nice to have," and the related, "Am I gonna FALL ON MY SWORD for this?" Where's the ditch? Are we Knights?

2.  "No need to BOIL THE OCEANS on the pitch materials, but let's include these 25 things..." Odd idiom.

3.  Starting every frickin call with, "SOUNDS LIKE THE BEEPS ARE SUBSIDING but maybe we'll give folks a few more moments to join..." We must compulsively fill silence with the same obvious blather. 

  1. As a preface (often to something obvious), "Just TO LEVEL-SET..."

  2. "We just wanted to BE THOUGHTFUL in outlining your options". Who can object to thoughtfulness and meaninglessness?

  3. "This is pretty MIDDLE OF THE FAIRWAY". Maybe it's time for a new arbitrarily determined sports analogy. Draw shot in curling?

  4. "They will need to be fully OPEN KIMONO during diligence." Too racist to be still in use? Nah

  5. "But are we PREGNANT with that pricing/deal term at this point?" Really?

33 Comments
 

I heard the new term is “download” as in summarizing the information for someone, similar to giving someone the down-low. Now every senior sheep in my office is saying “download”. Drives me insane. Hate corporate speak, say what you mean

 

I've heard this too! I just thought it was a lost-in-translation language barrier thing as it was always this dude whose first language wasn't English saying this - I just thought he mistook "down low" for "download".

 

“Fulsome analysis” - I fucking hate this one

“Well it looks like we have a quorum”

 

This. Like dude, your banker job isn't rocket science, you don't have to dress down the other person like that, the client is still top management of a big company and isn't a layman

 

You're supposed to say this so that the MD knows it is being progressed and if other juniors are copied on the email they know you're the one doing the task so they don't have to

 

Once had an Associate who wasn’t a sports guy and would quietly ask me to explain any sports analogy that got dropped on a call.  “Blocking and tackling”, “calling an audible” etc 

 

"Do you have the bandwidth to take on this additional assignment?"

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 
RedWhiteAndWho

The overuse of the word "right?" after every statement

Riiiiiiiight

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 
Deal Team Six

This might be the worst one actually. If you've ever worked with someone extensively who ends every sentence with, "Right?????" you want to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge pretty quick

I swear it's a millennial thing.  I know right!!

 

You need to level set your attitude if you’re triggered by such mundane things. This is a miserable life you lead

Life is more than dollars
 

I heard a VP tell the CEO that he "didn't want us to get caught with our pants down."  The CEO, not missing a beat to a room full of men and women said, "Well, if we do, they can suck our d!ck!"

That said, I hate the expression, "Talk out of both sides of my mouth."

 

The number of fucking times I've been asked if I have "bandwidth" to assist on whatever stupid shit. 

Granted it's really only been one or two guys that overuse it - still annoying as fuck.

 

Cupiditate maiores voluptatem ut corrupti quis ut natus. Debitis animi aperiam consequuntur repudiandae et.

Et nostrum ex eos rerum quam. Hic laborum aut odio corrupti quos alias. Voluptas dolor eum quidem at nihil. Aliquid voluptatem sit eaque recusandae.

Sit quo repudiandae ab sint consectetur sint dignissimos et. Dolor sed nulla est temporibus. Itaque a expedita numquam. Libero perspiciatis optio debitis ut sunt. Deleniti voluptates ut debitis dolorem. Nisi alias autem unde repellat at provident culpa. Autem odio et omnis ipsa.

 

Labore quod ut id recusandae nemo qui doloremque. Ullam omnis velit animi dolore consectetur. Soluta omnis labore provident ad qui.

Sequi recusandae autem qui porro porro. Ipsam accusamus nobis sed architecto. Velit quaerat quaerat sunt quam dolor alias consectetur. Vitae laudantium temporibus eos animi molestiae at iste.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”