a) a teacher
Sorry, wrong answer. Please try again.
b) a lazy person
Sorry, wrong answer. Please try again.
c) a clerical employee
Well done ! That’s the right answer.
A pen pusher is someone who has a job in an office, a clerical employee who deals with documents or writing matters. The term is often used in a derogative way to refer to the job as a boring one and to the person as someone who is not very useful. Americans say ’pencil pusher’.
French translation
un gratte papier, un scribouillard
How NOT to translate : *un pousse crayon
...................................................
Examples in context
‘The Ministry of Defense is paying pen-pushers five-figure bonuses while they are sacking brave frontline soldiers.
Coalition cuts mean nearly 5,000 squaddies will be kicked out of the Forces after receiving their P45s this week.’
The Daily Star, 21 June 2013
............
‘Anger over mural removal
Terri Hooley, the founder of Good Vibrations record shop and the man behind the recording of Teenage Kicks, branded the DSD as "pathetic" and "pen-pushers".
"Who are these people ? What world do they live in ? There are so many murals they could have taken down in Belfast and they have taken down the one good one," the 64-year-old said.’
Irish News, 22 June 2013
...................................................
Everyday usage
His colleague is a frustrated desk-bound pen pusher who dreams of trekking through jungles.
Sorry I can’t hire any pen pusher, the annual budget has been fixed.
As a result, industry was overmanned and pen pushers were everywhere.
Missed last week’s phrase ? Catch up here
