circumlocution office

English

Etymology

Introduced in Charles Dickens' novel Little Dorrit.

Noun

circumlocution office (plural circumlocution offices)

  1. Any organization that wastes time on bureaucracy to the detriment of its actual business.
    • 1988 September 28, Nat Hentoff, “The circumlocution office”, in Washington Post:
      In Westchester County, N.Y., a foster parent pleaded with the Circumlocution Office not to return a 10-month old child to her natural mother, who kept missing visits, was being beaten by her husband and had a record of mental illness. The infant, however, was returned, and was beaten to death.
    • 1997 January 22, Deaglán de Bréadún, “Plenty of double-speak when it comes to bilingualism”, in Irish Times, Dublin, page 1:
      A survey of the implementation of State policy for the promotion of bilingualism shows the spirit of the Circumlocution Office is alive and well in the Irish public sector.
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