Pop Culture dictionary
National Slap Your Irritating Coworker Day
or National Slap Your Annoying Coworker Day [nash-uh-nl slap yer ir-i-tey-ting, uh-noi-ing koh-wur-ker dey]
What does Slap Your Irritating Coworker Day mean?
National Slap Your Irritating Coworker Day, also called National Slap Your Annoying Coworker Day, takes place on October 23. It’s an unofficial, novelty holiday where you’re supposed to, well, sock it to that coworker that gets under your skin.
Rather than actually encouraging violence, however, the holiday gives voice to that frustration many of us know too well: our coworkers can be pretty obnoxious. (Could you just listen to your tunes in your headphones already, Pat?)
Where does National Slap Your Irritating Coworker Day come from?
The blog IntellectualPoison mentioned National Slap Your Irritating Coworker Day holiday in 2005, although they originally note it is observed on June 10.
Wider discussion of the holiday began surfacing online in 2009, and it’s since been catalogued on holiday aggregators like Wikidates and Checkiday.com.
Today is Slap Your Irritating Coworker Day. I say, those who never irritate anyone, ever, can slap away. (I won't be slapping anyone)
— Heidi Fields (@heidi_fields) October 23, 2009
The holiday even has made-up rules. Among them? “Only one person can be slapped per hour” and “If you are questioned by your supervisors or others, it’s acceptable to lie.”
Examples of National Slap Your Irritating Coworker Day
Who uses National Slap Your Irritating Coworker Day?
Like many novelty holidays, National Slap Your Irritating Coworker Day is something people enjoy casually posting about on social media on October 23 each year.
Often hashtagged with #SlapYourIrritatingCoworkerDay, posts often center on jokes and humorous anecdotes about the woes of work relations.
No one in @CHIKARApro thinks I am irritating right? #SlapYourIrritatingCoworkerDay
— Scott Holladay (@_ScottHolladay) October 23, 2017
Memes about National Slap Your Irritating Coworker Day abound, too, on October 23. Many make witty comments about just who that annoying coworker is. (Hint, hint: Is it you?!)
Note
This is not meant to be a formal definition of National Slap Your Irritating Coworker Day like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of National Slap Your Irritating Coworker Day that will help our users expand their word mastery.