Say it like this
- Let's put that in the parking lot for now
- Can we park that discussion until later?
- That's a good point—let's add it to the parking lot
Use it at work
In a meeting
- Good point. Let's put it in the parking lot.
- I'll add that to the parking lot so we stay on track.
Ending a meeting
- We have five minutes. Let's look at the parking lot.
- Who'll follow up on the parking lot items?
Afterward
- Here are the parking lot items from today.
- Let's put the parking lot on next week's agenda.
Don't say this
Parking lot should imply the topic will be discussed later, not abandoned forever.
Don't mix it up
| Term | What it is | Who writes or uses it | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| parking lot | List of topics to discuss later | Facilitator | During meetings |
| take it offline | Discuss later, outside the meeting | Anyone | During meetings |
| table it | Postpone the topic | Anyone | In US English |
Practice
Try it
4 quick exercises
1. Your manager brings up a good question about tooling in the middle of your sprint review. What does a skilled tech professional say?
2. The DevOps team raised concerns about deployment frequency, but we decided to _______ the conversation until after the current release.
3. Which sentence uses parking lot incorrectly?
4. Rewrite this sentence using parking lot: We need to stop talking about authentication now, but we should discuss it again later in a different meeting.
Say it out loud
Phrase 1 of 3
"Let's put that in the parking lot for now"
We don't save your recording. The word check uses your browser's speech recognition.
More about parking lot
Real examples(3)
- in a standup
"That's a great question about database optimization, but it's outside our sprint scope. Can we parking lot that and discuss it in our architecture review next week?"
- in a code review
"The security concern you raised is important, but let's parking lot the refactoring discussion for the next sprint."
- in a team meeting
"We should parking lot the discussion about CI/CD pipeline improvements so we can focus on this release first."
More mistakes(2)
Handle with care. Do not use when discussing actual parking spaces for vehicles. This is a metaphorical business term only.
- ✕I am parking lotting your concern.✓I suggest we parking lot this discussion.
The correct form uses parking lot as a noun or verb phrase, not as parking lotting.
- ✕The parking lot is a real problem we need to fix.✓The items in our parking lot are issues we should address next sprint.
Do not confuse metaphorical parking lot with actual physical parking spaces.
Other forms(2)
- parking lot noun
"We added three items to the parking lot during the meeting."
- to parking lot (or park in the parking lot) verb
"Let us parking lot this discussion and move forward."
Often used with(4)
- put in the parking lot · Most common phrase meaning to defer discussion of a topic
- add to the parking lot · Used when recording a deferred topic for later discussion
- review the parking lot · Phrase meaning to revisit deferred topics at the end or in a future meeting
- parking lot items · Phrase referring to the collection of deferred discussion topics
Similar words(3)
- defer · More formal; refers to postponing without the meeting-management implication
- table · Similar meaning but often implies longer postponement; less common in tech
- backlog · Similar concept but more specific to product development and task management
Opposites(2)
- discuss immediately
- address now
Questions(5)
- What does parking lot mean in software engineering?
- In software engineering and tech meetings, parking lot refers to a temporary holding area for discussion topics that are valid but not appropriate for the current meeting. When someone raises an important but off-topic issue, team members suggest parking it to stay focused on the current agenda. The parked items are reviewed later or in a future meeting. This helps teams manage time efficiently while still acknowledging all concerns.
- How do you use parking lot in a sentence at work?
- You can use parking lot as a noun or verb. As a noun: We have three items in our parking lot from yesterdays meeting. As a verb: Let us park that security concern in the parking lot so we can focus on the release. You can also say put in the parking lot or add to the parking lot in professional conversations.
- Is parking lot formal or informal?
- Parking lot is neutral in formality. It is professional enough for client meetings and official presentations, but also comfortable and natural in casual team discussions. It is widely used in business English and is considered standard vocabulary in tech companies.
- When should you use parking lot instead of just saying no to a discussion?
- Use parking lot when you want to acknowledge that the raised topic is valid and important, but the current meeting is not the right time or place to discuss it. This is more respectful than simply dismissing the topic. It signals to the person who raised the issue that their concern will be addressed later.
- Who typically suggests parking lot items in meetings?
- Any team member can suggest putting a topic in the parking lot, but typically the meeting organizer, tech lead, or scrum master actively manages the parking lot and ensures items are addressed in future meetings. Project managers and engineering leads are especially responsible for maintaining and reviewing parking lot items.
