Jargon is no lighthouse on a cloudy night

Workers are being urged to speak in plain English after a list of the most bizarre business phrases was compiled, ranging from an "open kimono" to "a lighthouse on a cloudy night".

Recruitment firm Office Angels said workers now talk about feeling "stressurised" (a mixture of pressure and stress) and often want to "flag" problems.

They highlighted the "ridiculous" phrases creeping into corporate parlance, including "I'm coming into this with an open kimono" (throwing an idea out into the open but being open to criticism), "let's touch base about this offline" (let's meet up face to face), "finger in the air figure" (just an estimate) and "I think someone needs a bite of the reality sandwich" (someone needs to think a bit more practically).

Other examples include "we need the right PIN numbers" (we need it to work) and "a lighthouse on a cloudy night" (coming up with a bright idea).

David Clubb, managing director of Office Angels, said: "While this jargon is amusing, my advice would be that nothing beats plain talking."