Whiteisms
The Archive

Etymology Journal ยท N

Need to touch base

Meaning

To briefly connect with someone to share information or get an update. It is the gold standard of office speak for 'let's talk later'.

Professional, collaborative

Used in a sentence

  • I need to touch base with you about the new project timeline before the meeting.
  • Let's touch base on Monday to go over the final figures.
  • I will touch base with the client and get back to you.

The backstory

This is baseball terminology that entered the corporate lexicon in the mid-20th century. It refers to a runner making sure they have successfully reached a base.

Heard in

Nationwide

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