Is it still ok to use the phrase “caught with our pants down“ or “open kimono” ? an older partner I work with uses phrases like these quite frequently….

likefunny
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As long as you got your bonus and he's not catching your pants down it's ok

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I’ve never had a problem with open kimono. Not sure why people on here are acting like A4 is crazy.

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They’re acting like that because they are members of a micro generation that was raised to believe that being a good person means accepting that every claim of offense, no matter how obviously silly it is, must be taken very seriously.

I think that was inspired by noble intentions and probably accomplished some very good things, but it got to the point that you see on this thread and the pendulum swung back. I hope it does not swing back too far (although I guess it already has). Sensitivity is generally good.

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It's distasteful and I would judge someone for using them. Do I have any power or even the force of law on my side as a WOC associate? No. But I do ask "what does that mean" in a really innocent tone and watch people get uncomfortable. Sometimes after they explain, I say "yikes" lol. They usually watch what they say around me after that.

likefunny

Also “edited to add.” You’re welcome.

People expressing concern about “open kimono” are ridiculous. It is an allusion to showing that one has no concealed weapons. It’s not sexual at all.

Perhaps the only stupider thing is people avoiding saying “Chinese wall,” which merely refers to a very famous and large wall in China. It is not racist to refer to the fact that the Chinese built a famous wall.

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Reading this thread is wild. A4 is being perfectly reasonable and the rest are like “Why can’t you just play the game even though it doesn’t matter? We all play the game to get along!”

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I wish I was as passionate about anything as A4 is about saying “open kimono”

likefunny

I am waiting for conflicts to clear and need to do something to dodge work!

Amusingly enough, this is not even a phrase that I use.

I predict that within a decade or two the people who came of age during the period when we had ludicrously restrictive speech norms will be a small enough slice of the workforce that we won’t be having stupid conversations like this.

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My 70+ year old civ pro professor always said "open the kimono" - geezers love that stuff.

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likefunny

Those are objectively funny, so yes.

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Yes, but what if you imagined that you were the most hypersensitive person ever? Wouldn’t you be offended then?

likefunny

As an Asian, I think the only time I internally pause is when someone (including attorneys) refers to something as from the Orient or refers to Asians as Orientals.

Yes it still happens here in the South.

likehelpful

yeah like its ok to say chink in the armor. or pointing out that the Partner’s neck looks red

likefunny

but why not just use "belts and suspenders", preventive version of what you're describing

likefunny

this one is fine i think haha, no indecent exposure implied, only indecent exposure prevented

likefunny

Yes of course. Only freaks with an inflated sense of importance and morality would be neurotic about these types of phrases

likesmart

Who cares? Honestly. We aren’t robots.

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Anyone asking this question must be the low man on the totem pole.

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I see what you did there!

never heard open kimono before, but caught with pants down means they were not prepared for something they should've been. io keep hearing how older employees need to adapt to get along with younger co-workers, but nevedr hear that the younger co workers need to adapt to get along with the older ones. not everything is offensive and people need to stop and think about what they are doing before making claims of offense when they are just overly sensitive.

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Let's get back to the downed pants. What's wrong with downed pants?

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It might make people imagine a butt, which is more or less sexual assault, I gather.

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Why are you asking strangers on what “is ok”? What does a mob of strangers know and why do you let their opinions direct your thoughts in what is right and wrong? Stand on your convictions.

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What other phrase expresses caught with your pants down with the same effect? If anything it’s just vocabulary and totally harmless and something people universally understand

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On the one hand, people in the past engaged in a lot of casual racism and racialized everything. If my Boomer MIL tells us a story involving other people for some reason she always has to tell us their race (she lived through Apartheid South Africa but American Boomers do the same). This practice should not be encouraged or continued.

On the other hand, people today are wildly over sensitive to anything that refers to anything using ethnic or sexual references even when not inherently prejudiced or discriminatory. Sometimes it’s okay to use slang that may be off color. We’re all adults here.

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lol tbh PoC often say that white guy or that orange president. referring to race isnt that big a deal

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