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penpusher

penpusher

8.2
A person who does boring office paperwork all day
  • noun
  • /ˈpɛnˌpʊʃər/
  • Slang
translation icon : burócrata
  • She refused to become just another penpusher in a government office.

Examples

  • He quit his job as a penpusher because he wanted something more exciting.

  • The company is run by penpushers who make all the decisions from behind their desks.

  • He is just a penpusher at the office.

  • Many penpushers find their jobs unfulfilling.

  • Many penpushers often feel that their work lacks creativity and excitement.

  • After years of being a penpusher, she decided to pursue her passion for design.

  • In large corporations, penpushers are essential for handling the endless paperwork.

Synonyms

clerk
vspenpusher
273 2.5

A person who keeps records and does office tasks

is narrower, focusing mainly on repetitive paperwork tasks
pencil pusher
vspenpusher
  • Offensive
5 6.0

An office worker who mainly does boring routine paperwork

is a neutral term for routine paperwork in general
paper-pusher
vspenpusher
  • Offensive
4 6.5

An office worker who spends most of their time doing forms and paperwork

focuses on routine paperwork rather than decision making
filing clerk
vspenpusher
1 2.7

A person who organizes and keeps documents for an office

covers broader routine paperwork beyond these specific filing duties
pen-pusher
vspenpusher
  • Offensive
7.9

A person who does simple office paperwork and little creative work

is the same meaning but often written without a hyphen

How Bureaucratic

bureaucrat
141 5.6
functionary
8 7.7
penpusher
  • Slang
8.2
clerk
273 2.5
worker
600 1.0

Surface Forms

penpusher singular
penpushers plural

Morphology

penpusher = pen + push (opaque) = pen + push + er

The term 'penpusher' is not transparently derived from 'pen' and 'push'; it refers to a person doing routine paperwork, which is not a direct derivation from the components.

Etymology

Penpusher joins pen and pusher, creating the image of someone who 'pushes' a pen across paper to fill forms. So it is a not-very-flattering name for an office worker or clerk whose job is mostly routine, boring paperwork.