The phrase "Let's catch up before Christmas"
People start issuing this threat as early as October. You know how it goes: you bump into someone you know but seldom see, chat politely with them - and then, just as the encounter is drawing to a close, they utter those deflating words: "Let's catch up before Christmas." Now I don't know about you, but if I'm going to catch up with someone with whom my life no longer organically intersects, it's certainly not going to be in the most hectic month of the year. May or June, however, could work. This isn't an emergency situation so why is a deadline associated with this proposed get-together? To make matters worse, sometimes people actually say this in late November or even early December. In which case I just want reply: "We're catching up. It's before Christmas. I think you'll find our work here is done."
Christmas functions that ban significant others
I haven't attended my husband's work Christmas function for well over ten years now. We have an annual dialogue about it. "It's the firm's Christmas do next week," he says. "I'll book the babysitter. What should I wear?" I reply. Of course, he then explains that only actual staff members are invited; wives, husbands and partners are not on the list. For a while I thought it was only me who'd been banned and I struggled to recall what behaviour at a past event had rendered me persona non grata. I've since discovered my husband's version is correct and there is a blanket ban on significant others. I presume it's a cost-saving measure but I suspect it's also so work colleagues can kick up their heels unencumbered by the presence of outsiders. Regardless of the reason, it's not very social: just saying.
