present company excepted
These negative remarks do not pertain to anyone who is currently listening to them (including the speaker).
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Everyone here is lazy, present company excepted.”
“Most of the staff members are quite unreliable, present company excepted, so I appreciate your hard work.”
“While the committee members have consistently failed to address these systemic issues, present company excepted, I remain hopeful that our current collaboration will yield a different result.”
- 01
bad company
The wrong crowd.
- 02
company town
A town, city, or other municipality in which a single large business has a controlling influence over the economy and, sometimes, over the societal structure and the local government.
- 03
keep company
To court.
- 04
keep someone company
To remain with or accompany someone, especially to make them feel more comfortable with a certain situation.
- 05
we have company
Used to express that one has encountered an enemy or rival.
Last updated August 10, 2026