[neilv]

You probably don't want to adopt this metaphor.

Imagine someone saying it in a meeting that includes people other than some homogeneous group that thinks it's funny and clever and appropriate.

If you saw someone else making that mistake, you might have to interrupt them diplomatically.

[Brian_K_White]

If I'm in a meeting, and two of the other people are one who used this metaphore, and one who complained that it's inappropriate, I know which one I would rather not work with.

This even though I myself would not reach for that imagery in that context.

[neilv]

> If I'm in a meeting, and two of the other people are one who used this metaphore, and one who complained that it's inappropriate, I know which one I would rather not work with.

Most people wouldn't complain.

But a lot of people would think this was inappropriate, think a little less of the person doing it, and most of all be bothered if this seemed to be condoned.

I said "diplomatically", because you need to stop the cringe, you need to signal to those bothered that it's one person's brief oops rather than a tone-deaf culture, and you need to help the someone who did an oops be left where they can easily repair any damage.

I'm not an expert, and I'd play it by ear, but in the scenarios I imagine, if the speaker kept going on about it, someone should halt it as delicately as possible. "Sorry, could we change the slide, and summarize the points without the metaphor? Thanks; just an aversion to Speedos, heh."

(Alternatively, you could let the person dig themselves in further, which could easily turn into an acute culture/morale problem, and it could also easily turn into an HR-liability-type problem.)

[axus]

It's better to raise issues than to silently ignore them. Person 1 and Person 2 shouldn't face ongoing problems for expressing themselves once.