When you move seat or firm, there are certain phrases you will hear people use to describe your new colleagues which sound harmless, complimentary even - but they are not.

They are code, the comprehension of which can make the difference between a productive professional life and a career tied to the brainless, the back-stabbing, the octopus-armed and the sadistic. Here are 11 translations which could save your arse, crowd-sourced by lawyers on the RollOnFriday discussion board.

Rollover the photos to reveal the awful truth.

1.




2.




3.




4.




5.




6.




7.




8.




9.




10.




11.

Category

Comments

Anonymous 06 August 15 19:29

This speaks to both my love of gossipy euphemism, and Muppets. Brilliant, thanks!

Anonymous 07 August 15 17:38

The fact that these comment relate to lawyers says a lot about lawyers - not in a good way.

Anonymous 08 August 15 11:49

Instead of sweating your brains for humorous spins on what is otherwise common character currency in the City, better admit that we are all willingly playin along this circus of appearances, and have done so since we've had our photo taken for that first staff card. Backstabbers, brown nosers, partners' pets, liars, work dodgers, arrogant know-it-alls, paranoid deluded types, they are all out there setting fitting examples to young aspiring lawyers. If you're not already mirroring their attributes, or willing to play the game, you are wading against the current. It's all an act, and the only one rubbing his hands with glee and smiling is probably Lucifer. Keep it up!

Anonymous 14 August 15 16:45

Rather concerned that two of those phrases feature in my Chambers & Partners listing...

Anonymous 19 August 15 13:30

you should all read the Dog Star Rages >>> they're all in there ... killing each other