I guess it depends on how you use it. Whenever I get "please advise", it usually means a disdainful "something's broken/not working and it's ALL YOUR FAULT."

I could understand that. In my case, it always means, "I'm fucking clueless so tell me what to do, please!"

I tend to use "please advise" as shorthand for "you're the boss, and I know you'd throw a fit if I made this decision on my own, so tell me what to do, please."

I would have been using it for "Look, it's obvious we're going around in circles, and I'm tired, so I've laid it out for you and what are you going to do now?"

Just in two words.

So I'm guessing I'm the only one here who came across Tot-Tanic years ago? It's fairly widely available from the bouncy house sites.

It is freakier than a thing that is freaky.

But is it freakier than THE thing.

I tend to use "please advise" as shorthand for "you're the boss, and I know you'd throw a fit if I made this decision on my own, so tell me what to do, please."

Me, too.

I never realized those two words were so loaded. I tend to use them a bunch, meaning - here is the info I have and the options as I see them, the benefit of your advice would be appreciated.

Now I'm going to be worried that others think I was being all passive aggressive. Gah. More worries.

I don't understand why that phrase is bad? I mean, sometimes you are not the person who can make that decision so it makes sense to ask the person who is.

I'm with Fred and ita - I see it as more of a "ball's in your court" thing. So, there is an element of washing-my-hands-of-the-decision-making, but not really P-A as such.

I use it as a "ball's in your court" thing as well - kind of a, well I've done MY part indication.