Revealed: The words and phrases Gen Z use at work that leave older colleagues stumped - so, do you know your 'coffee badging' from your 'career cushioning'?

Published: 10:44 EDT, 25 September 2026 | Updated: 10:44 EDT, 25 September 2026 Are you on the same page as your colleagues, or does their office chatter leave you scratching your head? Experts at instantprint quizzed 2,000 UK office workers about how well they understand each other's workplace vocabulary. The results revealed that 68 per cent of workers regularly encounter phrases they do not understand. Despite this, more than a third (36 per cent) said they would feel embarrassed asking someone from another generation to explain what a phrase means.'No generation has completely cracked it,' said Craig Wassell, Marketing Manager at instantprint.'Younger workers are just as likely to be confused by traditional office speak as older colleagues are by newer phrases, so it is less about one generation getting it wrong and more about recognising how quickly workplace language changes.'Are you on the same page as your colleagues, or does their office chatter leave you scratching your head Gen Z office jargon that leaves older generations stumped Coffee badging: Showing up at the office just long enough to be seen and grab a coffeeBare Minimum Monday: Keeping your workload to the absolute essentials on a MondayCareer cushioning: Quietly preparing a backup career option while staying in your current jobRage applying: Applying for multiple jobs after becoming frustrated with your current role Quiet vacationing: Taking time off without formally booking a holiday Task masking: Making a low-priority or unnecessary task look like productive work Resenteeism: Staying in a job you're unhappy with and actively resenting itLoud quitting: Openly signaling that you're unhappy and actively looking to leave For the survey, instantprint asked different generations to translate popular phrases used in offices in the UK.The results revealed a stark divide between the different generations. 'Rage applying' – the practice of applying for multiple jobs after becoming frustrated with your current role – was correctly identified by 81 per cent of Gen Z workers. However, just 29 per cent of Baby Boomers knew what this was. 'Coffee badging' – showing up at the office just long enough to be seen and grab a coffee – was even harder to decipher. Only 21 per cent of Baby Boomers and 34 per cent of Gen X knew what this was. Other phrases that left older generations stumped included 'Bare Minimum Monday', 'Career Cushioning', and 'Quiet Vacationing'. Meanwhile, several phrases were well-known among older workers, but left Gen Z confused. Just 38 per cent of Gen Z knew what 'boil the ocean' means, while only 57 per cent knew what it meant to get their 'ducks in a row'. For the survey, insantprint asked different generations to translate popular phrases used in offices in the UK. The results revealed a stark divide between the different generationsWhat's more, nearly a third (31 per cent) could not correctly identify 'blue–sky thinking', while 28 per cent struggled with 'close of play'. Mr Wassell said: 'It is easy to laugh at the differences between "coffee badging" and "blue–sky thinking", but our research shows there is a more serious side to the language we use at work. 'When people are pretending to understand what their colleagues mean, avoiding contributing to meetings or even misunderstanding instructions, jargon can quickly become a barrier to good communication.'The researchers hope the findings will encourage workers to improve the clarity of their communication.'Whether you are speaking to colleagues, customers or clients, the best message is one that people actually understand,' Mr Wassell added.'A little less jargon and a little more clarity can go a long way.'