offline

(also, off-line). Outside the confines of a mass meeting, so as not to take up the time of attendees not directly concerned with an issue. Ex: "Let's take this conversation offline." By extension, a synonym for "in private" or "confidentially"; "Let's take this offline" equals "Let's talk about this in private." Nuance note: the word "offline" cannot be used in Microspeak unless it's preceded by the construction "let's take this...". Often used as a semi-polite way of saying, "Shut up about that, you impolitic idiot. These a-dashes aren't cleared to know about it."

© Ken Barnes