Email Jargon: The Most Weaponised Register in Corporate English

Email is where corporate passive-aggression reaches its highest art form. A spoken "can you check on this?" lasts 2 seconds and is forgotten. An emailed "Just circling back on this, would appreciate your thoughts when you have a moment" is a permanent, forwardable, timestamped receipt that you did not reply. These phrases exist because professional email has to appear polite AND carry a knife at the same time.

Here's the field guide.

⏰ The "you haven't replied" phrases

"Per my last email." I have already told you this. I am now telling you that I have already told you this. Every future "per my last email" escalates the receipts by one level.

"As previously discussed." Same energy as "per my last email" but applies to meetings and calls too. The word "previously" is doing all the weight-lifting. It means "this should not need to be said again."

"Circling back on this." I am bringing this up a second time. I'd like you to know I am bringing it up a second time. The phrase is always polite and always accusatory.

"Just bumping this up" / "Just a gentle reminder." This is neither just a reminder nor gentle. The word "just" is being used to pre-apologise for a demand. Whenever someone uses "just," what follows is usually the opposite of just.

"Following up on my message from [day]." The day is specific because the sender wants you to feel the time that has passed. Citing the exact day is an accountability move.

🎭 The politely-hostile phrases

"I hope this finds you well." I do not care whether this finds you well. This is the corporate equivalent of "salaam alaikum", a culturally mandatory opener that means nothing.

"Happy to discuss." I am not happy to discuss. I am signalling that I am prepared to fight you about this in a meeting if you don't just agree.

"At your earliest convenience." I want this now, but saying "now" would be rude. "At your earliest convenience" translates as "the convenience should happen immediately."

"Kind regards" (after a combative email). The more combative the email body, the softer the sign-off. "Kind regards" at the bottom of an email accusing you of missing a deadline is pure combat politeness.

"For your awareness" / "FYI." I am CCing you on something so that if this blows up, I can point to this email and say "I told you." FYI is always a paper trail.

📋 The cover-your-ass phrases

"Just to confirm." I already know the answer. I want you to put it in writing so I can use it later.

"Cc'ing [senior person] for visibility." I am escalating without saying I am escalating. The senior person is now informed, which means they now expect a resolution, which means you now have to act.

"Looping in [person]." Similar to CCing for visibility, but with the implication that the person being looped in has authority to resolve this and you don't. Common in customer support.

"Flagging this for your attention." I am making this your problem now. The phrase "flagging" comes from risk management. It's literally escalation language.

"Just so we're on the same page." We are not on the same page. I am writing down my version of the truth so I can refer to it later if yours diverges.

How to read an email in under 3 seconds

• "Just" appears 2 or more times, they're frustrated
• Sign-off is "Best" (short), neutral or cold
• Sign-off is "Warm regards" after a combative body, actively mad
• You've been CC'd a senior person, this is now escalated, not informational
• "As previously discussed" appears, they have started building a case

The entire register of corporate email is designed so that any phrase can be defended ("I was just asking!") while carrying a sharper meaning that the recipient understands immediately. It's deniable combat.

And when you need to fire one back without sounding unhinged, Keparat does that.