Finance & Corporate Jargon · Vice President level

"Bean counter"

"Bean counter" is a dismissive term for someone in finance or accounting, implying they focus narrowly on numbers and costs at the expense of bigger goals.

Say this instead: finance person

How "Bean counter" shows up at work

Usually said by someone who just had their budget cut. It is the office version of blaming the messenger, deployed when a finance team enforces a rule that everyone knew existed but hoped would not apply to them.

Buzzword

The bean counters denied our request to bring in an outside consultant.

Plain English

The finance team denied our request to bring in an outside consultant.

Corporate Rank: Vice President · Category: Finance & Corporate Jargon

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