There’s a very common term that I find myself using by default, but frankly think it’s just gross and distasteful. You know the phrase. It’ “d----bag” and refers to those people who are generally d--chy, obnoxious, and out of touch—posers and hosers who think they’re all that, but generally have little self-awareness and don't understand how creepy and gross they really come across.
Need an example? Think Patrick Schwarzenegger's character in the latest (third) season of White Lotus. As of the day of this posting, only the first episode has dropped so far, but my goodness if he doesn't play epitome, spot-on model of the d--chiest d----bag ever.
I used “d--chy” the other day in a conversation with colleagues and immediately regretted it. Our team tries to be very careful in professional conversations to avoid any curse words or anything distasteful, and while “d--chy” isn’t necessarily a swear word, it’s certainly vulgar and quite distasteful and it doesn’t make me happy to say it. To my credit, I used the phrase appropriately (in my opinion) as an adjective to describe a social media influencer whom my colleagues love but I find to be quite the tool.
For years,
I’ve wanted a less gross phrase to replace “d----bag” and “d--chy.” I’ve
googled alternatives and none that come up seem to fit as well as the original
term. So, I’ve decided to Snoopify the terms and coin substitute phrases and
want to share them with y’all in case maybe someone else may find them useful.
Instead of “d----bag,”
the term used to describe the individual, I’m going to start saying “dizzelbizzel.”
Instead of “d--chy,” the term to describe a dizzelbizzel’s behavior, I’m going
to start saying “dizzely.” And instead of “d----baggery,” the term to describe
all things dizzely in general, I’m going to start saying “dizzelbizzelgery.”
We all need
to swear less. Nothing is more of a turnoff in a colleague, friend, coach, or
mentor than constant pottymouthery. It’s just dizzely and people who swear
too often are total dizzelbizzels, in my opinion. There’s no need for it.
Don’t get me wrong, an expletive perfectly placed for point punctuation on rare occasions can have a dramatic, impactful effect and I’m not opposed to that—if done very sparingly. But, more often than not, it’s simply dizzely. Choosing less dizzely behavior and language will put you in a position of much more respect and trust, and give your advice or commentary much more weight.
I can't begin to count how many fellow business coaches and influencers I've been around who drop too many obscenities in their speaking and how many have totally ruined any good advice they may have because of their classless language. Some keep it high-brow in public, but then when you have alone time with them or are in a smaller group together, they let all of the f-bombs and more fly. It really taints things.
I know this sounds prudish, and those who know me well know I have can have a very dark and sometimes filthy sense of humor, which frankly I very much enjoy and for which there is a time and a place, but when in a professional environment it's just not appropriate.
So, don’t be
a dizzelbizzel, spouting dizzely phrases and doing dizzely things in all of
your dizzelbizzelgery, but rather choose to be a little bit classier. It
works. And I’m going to try harder at being less of a dizzelbizzel myself.
