Office Politics Terminology

noun a person who behaves obsequiously to someone in authority

verb to seek favor by fawning or flattery

• It is unprofessional to brown nose in the workplace in order to gain favor with the boss.
• Stop brown nosing the teacher just to get a better grade.
• I can't stand people who brown nose their way to the top.
• She always brown noses her way into getting what she wants.

adjective extremely unpleasant or offensive

• His obnoxious behavior at the meeting was completely unacceptable.
• I can't stand hanging out with him, he's so obnoxious.
• She's always acting all obnoxious around her friends.
• The bright neon sign was obnoxious in the otherwise serene landscape.

noun a person who borrows or collects things without permission or by imposing on others

• The company suspected that the employee was a scrounger, always finding excuses to avoid work.
• I heard that John is a bit of a scrounger, always looking for freebies.
• Don't be such a scrounger, buy your own drinks!
• He was a scrounger for compliments, always fishing for praise from others.

adjective having or showing an exaggerated opinion of one's own importance, wealth, or social status

preposition used to indicate a position or location that is higher than something else

• She has a reputation for being stuck up and unapproachable in social settings.
• I can't stand hanging out with her, she's so stuck up.
• Why are you being so stuck up about it? Just chill out.
• His pride and ego were so inflated, he was practically stuck up to the ceiling.

noun a person who behaves obsequiously to someone important in order to gain advantage

verb act in an obsequious way in order to gain advantage

• The toady was always seeking favor from the boss.
• I can't stand that toady who is always sucking up to the teacher.
• That toady is such a brown-noser.
• The politician surrounded himself with toadies who would do anything for him.

noun a person who always agrees with their superiors or with people in authority, often to gain favor or advantage

• He was often criticized for surrounding himself with yes men who never challenged his decisions.
• I can't stand being around a yes man who agrees with everything I say.
• Don't be a yes man and just go along with whatever they tell you.
• Being a yes man may seem like the easy way out, but it's important to stand up for what you believe in.