Finally, a new way to pass the time at work: Office BINGO. Play alone or play with friends. Regular BINGO rules apply!
Most of the squares are self-explanatory, however, since we don’t want any of your co-workers to cheat you out of victory, let’s clarify what must be seen/heard to claim the box.
ROW B
Awkward Silence: Offices are loaded with it. Whether it’s the lunchroom, the conference room or simply at your desk, you’ll know it when you hear it!
Community Food: Common examples are the obligatory bagels and birthday cake. Any edible item dumped on a public table for the vultures to consume qualifies.
Fridge Cleaning: It doesn’t happen often, but some do-gooder always posts a sign on the refrigerator door warning that all unmarked items will be tossed by 4pm on a given date. (Subsequently, this leads to people angrily marking their salad dressing bottles with bold initials.)
Popcorn Nuker: The smell wafts through the air, causing a distracting paralysis. Often, you can set your watch to this activity.
Stinky Lunch: Natto, curry, onions and fish. Yummy for them, hellacious for you.
ROW I
Unsolicited Bathroom Talk: You pull up to a urinal or escape into a stall to do your business, yet someone has to break the unwritten code of silence and shout over the divider.
Coffee Spotting: An easy square to acquire. Just locate someone gulping down java.
Asked for Office Supply: Get your own stapler, damn it! People are always borrowing supplies rather than walking over to the cabinet and getting their own.
Office Whistler: Beware, the psychological profile of this person is probably frightening. Awkward, annoying and out of tune, this person thinks an empty hallway is an amphitheater for their mouth.
Temperature Issues: “Who touched the thermostat?” Cold. Hot. Cold Hot. Can’t we all just get along? To get this square you must overhear someone complaining about the interior temperature.
ROW N
Random Body Pain: You’re sitting at your desk clanking on your keyboard, minding your own business. OW! Some striking pain hits your body for no good reason. You spend about 5 minutes wondering if you’re gonna die, then you forget about it until the next one comes.
Awkward IT Moment: They’re good with technology, but they’re not so good at communicating with “laypeople.” Whether it’s the way they ask you to fill out a trouble ticket or magically appear behind you, you’ll know this moment when it happens.
FREE
Smokers Return: Like wolves, these tobacco fiends run in packs. After blockading the company entrance, they return, spreading the smell of fire and mint gum throughout the office.
Ran Out of Post-It Notes: Duh!
ROW G
Day / Time Confusion: Statements to look out for – “It’s only 11am?” or “All day I thought it was Friday!” Especially prevalent after a three-day, holiday weekend.
Random HR Memo: Whether they’re changing who handles your 401K or reminding you about the dress code, HR sure is proficient at wasting our time.
Repeated Story: We all deny it, but we’re all guilty of this one. Check off your box if you’re hearing a story for the second time and don’t have the heart to interrupt.
Mention of the Weather: The ultimate in office small talk. “I can’t get over this rain!” I’m confident you’ll acquire this box quickly.
Last-Minute Assignment: Whether you’re off to lunch or leaving for the day, projects have a magical way of appearing at 4:55pm on a Friday.
ROW O
Called by Boss: Nice and simple. Your boss phones you, you get this box.
Hallway Shuffle: Mix a narrow hallway with an indecisive walker, and the rest is history. You go one way. They go the same way. Next thing you know, you’re doing the Hallway Shuffle!
Printer Jam: Duh!
Unidentified Person: Routine is what makes your office such a horrendous place to be. Isn’t it amazing the attention a random workman or visitor from another company gets? Find a stranger and win.
Yawning Epidemic: As contagious as negativity, your job is to find at least two people yawning consecutively.
We hope you have fun. Please help spread the word about Office BINGO and the Jobacle.com blog/podcast. If you like what we do, please subscribe.
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