--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What do you call a co-worker these days?…" description: "\"What do you call a co-worker these days? Neither teammate nor confederate will do, and partner is too legalistic. The answer brought from academia to t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46f/william-safire-5116_academia_what-do-you-call-a-co-worker-these-days_150790.jpg" --- # What do you call a co-worker these days? Neither teammate… ![“What do you call a co-worker these days? Neither teammate nor confederate will do, and partner is too legalistic. The answer brought from academia to the political world by Henry Kissinger and now bandied in the boardroom is colleague. It has a nice upper-egalitarian feel, related to the good…” quote by William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46f/william-safire-5116_academia_what-do-you-call-a-co-worker-these-days_150790.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46f/william-safire-5116_academia_what-do-you-call-a-co-worker-these-days_150790.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46f/william-safire-5116_academia_what-do-you-call-a-co-worker-these-days_150790.jpg) > “What do you call a co-worker these days? Neither teammate nor confederate will do, and partner is too legalistic. The answer brought from academia to the political world by Henry Kissinger and now bandied in the boardroom is colleague. It has a nice upper-egalitarian feel, related to the good fellowship of collegial.” [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The term “colleague” replaces older, hierarchical labels, emphasizing equality and shared purpose in modern workplaces. **In simple terms:** “leagueleague” means equal coworker. Key Takeaway Use “colleague” to foster collaboration. Themes workplace equality language evolution team dynamics Mood neutral professional Type descriptive informative When to use this quote - corporate meetings - team projects - HR policies Key Concepts social semantics organizational culture Questions to Reflect On - How does terminology affect workplace hierarchy? - When might “colleague” feel insufficient? A Different Perspective May sound overly formal in casual settings. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Academia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academia/) [Answer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answer/) [Boardroom Colleague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boardroom-colleague-1677349/) [Brought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brought/) [Call](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/call/) [Colleague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colleague/) [Confederate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confederate/) [Confederate Partner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confederate-partner-1677350/) [Days](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/days/) [Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel/) [Fellowship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fellowship/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/henry/) [Neither](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neither/) [Nice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nice/) [Nor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nor/) [Now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/now/) [Partner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/partner/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Related](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/related/) [Teammate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teammate/) [Teammate Confederate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teammate-confederate-1677348/) [Too](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [I never set out to be CEO. 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Tawney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-h-tawney/) > [And as an American colleague said to me several months ago, he said, 'I think the challenge in Jordan - and, again, this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdallah-ii-of-jordan/and-as-an-american-colleague-said-to-me-several-months-ago-he-said-i/) [Abdallah II of Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdallah-ii-of-jordan/) > [I want some colleague to be free to come help me when I say the time has come. That's what I'm fighting for, me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kevorkian/i-want-some-colleague-to-be-free-to-come-help-me-when-i-say-the-time/) [Jack Kevorkian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kevorkian/) > [I have had the privilege of working closely with some of the greatest women in this country. The idea that their contributions would not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/i-have-had-the-privilege-of-working-closely-with-some-of-the-greatest/) [Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/) > [“smile remained intact. “He was a colleague and a friend,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-gould/smile-remained-intact-he-was-a-colleague-and-a-friend/) [Simon Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-gould/) > [“If our esteemed colleague, Zungenschlag, does not find our room ventilated sufficiently, I should like to suggest that our esteemed colleague, Zungenschlag, have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-wedekind/if-our-esteemed-colleague-zungenschlag-does-not-find-our-room/) [Frank Wedekind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-wedekind/) > [When you're in a two-shot together, you can't be the same as when you're both in singles. Try as you will, it cannot be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-courtenay/when-you-re-in-a-two-shot-together-you-can-t-be-the-same-as-when-you/) [Tom Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-courtenay/) > [I do not have any problem with Hans-Joachim Watzke. I regard him as an incredibly competent colleague.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-heinz-rummenigge/i-do-not-have-any-problem-with-hans-joachim-watzke-i-regard-him-as-an/) [Karl-Heinz Rummenigge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-heinz-rummenigge/) > [In any situation, it is good to be aware of even your co-workers, and if you are uncomfortable or concerned about a colleague's behavior,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-guilfoyle/in-any-situation-it-is-good-to-be-aware-of-even-your-co-workers-and/) [Kimberly Guilfoyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-guilfoyle/) > [To get a project off the ground, tell a colleague it was their idea. 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From what I could see, you could get a bunch of people together, whip up the press and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/this-is-what-it-s-all-about-from-what-i-could-see-you-could-get-a/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [When I need to know the meaning of a word, I look it up in a dictionary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/when-i-need-to-know-the-meaning-of-a-word-i-look-it-up-in-a-dictionary/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [A man who lies, thinking it is the truth, is an honest man, and a man who tells the truth, believing it to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/a-man-who-lies-thinking-it-is-the-truth-is-an-honest-man-and-a-man/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [The Latin motto over Poindexter's new Pentagon office reads Scientia Est Potentia - "knowledge is power." 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