desk jockey

noun

, Informal.

1. an office worker who sits at a desk, often as contrasted with someone who does more important or active work:

   desk jockeys at the CIA.

Word History and Origins

Origin of desk jockey¹

First recorded in 1950–55; modeled on disk jockey

Example Sentences

Peter is a blank space to whom any desk jockey can relate, which doesn't take much if you subscribe to the idea of an average-looking white guy as the default white-collar worker.

From Salon

Daniel Pearce makes of Polonius a hilariously pedantic desk jockey and bad idea bear.

From New York Times

He figured this would be his career path: a white-collar desk jockey trying to help companies squeeze profits from the system.

From Washington Post

Seth is a by-the-book desk jockey; Bud ignores the rules when they interfere with undead evisceration.

From Los Angeles Times

A dorky desk jockey, Seth is the familiar foil for the hero’s one-liners, but Franco plays him with a sweetness that keeps his fussiness from grating.

From New York Times