I work as a software engineer in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ever since starting work, I've noticed people using the word "around" where I'd say "about" or "on" for example:
"I have a question around metrics."
"Can you forward me the thread around developer engagement?"
"The company has been doing a lot of work around diversity and inclusion."
I feel like I never really heard this usage growing up in Pennsylvania, or in university in St. Louis, but it seems pervasive here. I particularly hear it from executives and product managers who work in the tech industry.
My questions are:
- Is this common everywhere and I just failed to notice it?
- If not, is it regional, industry-specific, or specific to a professional context?
Google ngrams suggests that the phrase "questions around", which is a kind of maker for this usage, has really spiked in the last 20 years.