Hackquire™ Glossary.
The Hackquire™ Glossary is your guide to our words, Easter eggs, and playful inventions. Some of these words may be familiar, but here we explain exactly what we mean by them. We create the odd new phrase, pay homage to old ones, and invent new words that sum up things in a simple, memorable way. Sometimes we make phrases rhyme, sometimes we give them a few layers of meaning. Take a look — scroll — read — and feel free to use them for a relevant working moment. What do you think of these terms? How might you use them for work? Reach out to us and let us know — or share any of your own. Learn more about the merch here and the genre here.
1. Back Stage Tips.
Explanation:
Noun phrase: “Back Stage Tips” are insider strategies or practices in professional settings, not widely shared but effective. Such tips, akin to gray-area guides, offer nuanced enhancements to work processes. This term is about the unwritten rules that drive success, as highlighted in the Hackquire™ book's glossary.
2. #ClickBaitChat.
Explanation:
Noun: “#ClickBaitChat” refers to online conversations at work that appear intriguing or sensational but ultimately lead to unproductive or harmful discussions. These chats often lure participants with compelling topics or provocative statements, but their primary intent is to provoke, mislead, and so create toxic working vibes.
3. Day Before Dread.
Explanation:
Noun phrase: Day Before Dread is the unease experienced on the day preceding a return to work, a meeting with a disagreeable individual, or an unwelcome work event. The occurrence of the Day Before Duff serves as a potential indicator that a change in one's professional environment or role might be necessary.
4. Hackaverse.
Explanation:
Noun: "Hackaverse" is a satirical take on the professional world, drawing inspiration from fictional places like Springfield in "The Simpsons" and Cronenberg World in "Rick and Morty." It explores various fun and surreal aspects of work and serves as a tribute to the workplace. It's part of the game called Workquee (pronounced: work-kee).
5. Metabores.
Explanation:
Noun: These are metaphors at work that are so painfully predictable they become boring and lose all impact. “We are a family,” “Your future grows with us,” “cadence,” “on the same page.” They often say more about the person using them frequently than they realise. These work or office clichés are a “rejection of the self and a refusal to engage with the present” (Thanks, Carl).
6. Slack Pipe.
Explanation:
Noun phrase: The “productivity” app called Slack does what it does, but it’s too often used for extreme overcommunication — often to avoid actual communicating — and for oversharing. “Hey team, don’t forget to vote for the funniest work coffee photo.” In effect, it becomes a tool (some) people are addicted to. Hence the surreal reference to c###k pipes.
7. WhatsGnat.
Explanation:
Noun: Gnats, tiny flying insects, aren’t usually dangerous to humans, but they’re a constant nuisance. WhatsApp does that well. That’s why we call it WhatsGnat. Some people use it sensibly, but work often infects this seemingly personal space on your personal device. Then it starts. The late messages. Eventually they break the fourth wall of time-off boundaries.
8. Wi-Pied Piper.
Explanation:
Noun phrase: This refers to how smartphones lead humans more and more, with people tagging along behind the tech instead of leading it. The Wi-Pied Piper pulls us through six or more hours a day of green-screen servitude with little thanks. It never stops. Most people rarely turn their phones off. Our thumbs travel constantly, which may as well be stroking the phone like a pet.