09 December 2008

OFFICIOUS

Officiousness is the frequent refuge of middle management. It gives me a rash.

adj.
  1. Marked by excessive eagerness in offering unwanted services or advice to others: an officious host; officious attention.
  2. Informal; unofficial.
  3. Archaic Eager to render services or help others.
[Latin officiƍsus, obliging, dutiful, from officium, duty; see office.]

(American Heritage)

Usage: Impertinent, Officious, Rude. A person is officious who obtrudes his offices or assistance where they are not needed; he is impertinent when he intermeddles in things with which he has no concern. The former shows a want of tact, the latter a want of breeding, or, more commonly, a spirit of sheer impudence. A person is rude when he violates the proprieties of social life either from ignorance or wantonness. "An impertinent man will ask questions for the mere grafication of curiosity; a rude man will burst into the room of another, or push against his person, inviolant of all decorum; one who is officious is quite as unfortunate as he is troublesome; when he strives to serve, he has the misfortune to annoy." --Crabb. See Impudence, and Insolent.

(Webster's Unabridged)

Thanks to the boss of the boss of CMES' cleaner who asked "Has anyone shared with you that bicycles are not allowed in the building?"

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