prairie dogging
n. The raising of office worker heads over cubicle walls in response to a loud noise or to facilitate conversation.
Also Seen As
prairie-dogging
Examples
1999
Such borderless, barrier-reducing offices are gaining popularity, said architect William Jay Hartman, an expert on office interior design. . . .Hartman said such a design is not right for everyone. But carefully planned, it encourages effective "prairie dogging".
—Tim Moran, “Tearing down walls,” Crain's Detroit Business, December 06, 1999
1997
"Prairie-dogging," the growing practice of standing up, looking, and often talking over the top of office panels, has become an often-debated and somewhat controversial issue.
—“Survey Conducted on Good, Bad, and Ugly of 'Prairie-Dogging' Looking and Talking Over Office Panels,” PR Newswire, November 05, 1997
1997 (earliest)
Prairie Dogging When someone yells or drops something loudly in an office, prompting everyone's head to pop up over their cubicle walls to see what's going on.
—Gareth Branywyn, “Jargon Watch,” Wired, March 01, 1997
Notes
This origin of this phrase is likely a Dilbert cartoon that ran on July 24, 1992. This three-panel strip has an image labeled "Prairie Dogs" in the first panel, "Office Workers" (Dilbert characters looking over their cubicle walls) in the second panel, and "Prairie Dog Workers" in the third panel.
Posted: March 04, 1997