Patty Cowboy

Once upon a time in Cube City, there was an unpopular brown noser that nobody liked. But few people publicly talked about how much they disliked this kiss-ass talentless jerk. She had problems. She was nuts and could fly off the handle at any moment, without warning. We all pretty much left it at that because there's always one loose cannon in the workplace. Always one.

One day, as I was laying low in my cubicle, a co-worker that I really liked stopped by my desk. He was helping me write scenarios for an emergency room software training aid. He wanted to walk me through what he had crafted. As he presented his scenarios to me, I noticed that one of his patient examples had a name bearing a very close resemblance to that of the loose cannon. This poor patient, named Patty Cowboy, had over-the-top chronic diseases and other unfortunate life circumstances. I knew the real Patty Cowboy would see this scenario and make the connection, but I didn't ask my likable co-worker to revise it. I thought it was a brilliantly passive-aggressive way of letting a loose cannon know that she doesn't look good on paper.