You type it a hundred times a week. You never think about it. And that, experts say, is EXACTLY the problem.
It's a tiny word. Six letters. Two syllables. Harmless, right? WRONG. The word "above" — that innocent little pointer you sprinkle into emails, texts, and memos like confetti — is secretly sabotaging your career, your relationships, and your sanity, according to communication pros who spoke exclusively to us.
"I see it every single day, and it makes my blood pressure spike," said Dana Whitfield, a corporate communication coach who has reviewed THOUSANDS of workplace messages. "When someone writes 'per my email above,' they think they sound professional. They actually sound like they're scolding a toddler."
Here's the jaw-dropping truth: "above" is what linguists call a DEICTIC word — meaning its whole meaning depends on where YOU are standing when you read it. In a printed letter, fine. But in an email thread that's been forwarded nine times, screenshotted, and pasted into Slack? "Above" could mean ANYTHING. It's a treasure map with no X.
And the chaos doesn't stop there.
Recruiters told us they've watched candidates get REJECTED over lazy "see above" replies. One hiring manager in Ohio said she tossed a resume because the applicant answered every screening question with the word "above." "It told me everything I needed to know about how much effort he'd put into the job," she said.
Relationship experts are just as alarmed. Couples therapists report that "as I said above" is now one of the top phrases that sparks text-message fights — right up there with "k" and "we need to talk." Why? Because "above" implies the other person wasn't paying attention. It's a passive-aggressive little dagger dressed in business casual.
But wait — it gets WORSE.
Accessibility advocates have been screaming about this for years. Screen readers used by blind and low-vision users often CANNOT process spatial words like "above," "below," or "click here." When you write "the link above," you might as well be writing "the link in Narnia" for millions of Americans. The fix is humiliatingly simple: name the thing. "The budget link." "My Tuesday email." Done.
So how did this six-letter menace conquer the English-speaking world? Blame the office. Blame habit. Blame the deep human desire to sound formal without doing any actual work. "Above" is the communication equivalent of wearing a tie with sweatpants — it LOOKS like effort, but it fools no one.
The good news? You can quit cold turkey. Starting TODAY. Replace "above" with the actual thing you're talking about. Replace "see above" with a one-line summary. Your readers will think you're a genius. You'll just be a person who names stuff.
"It's the easiest professional glow-up in existence," Whitfield said. "You will literally get thank-you emails."
The word "above" had a good run. It survived the typewriter, the fax machine, and the BlackBerry. But in a world of endless scrolls, forwarded chains, and voice-to-text chaos, it has officially outlived its usefulness.
Our take: Language should connect people, not send them on a scavenger hunt. "Above" isn't evil — it's just lazy, and lazy communication costs you more than you think. Retire it today, and watch how fast your messages get answered.