Taskalanche

A taskalanche is an event that occurs when a cohesive collection of tasks, usually in a vertical gains sufficient mass to overcome the friction permitting its precarious balance upon a sheer vertical mountain of other, typically older, tasks.

In contrast to an "avalanche" which slides and follows down a slope, a taskalanche typically topples. While there is often an initial diagonal rotational movement, the mass of tasks tends to become airborne, able to fly individually, then striking downward with an unnaturally coordinated and concentrated initial high-energy crushing impact followed by a trailing stream of additional tasks.

The precipitating event - commonly referred to as "the straw that broke the camels back" and other colorful metaphors - is usually the addition of one or more tasks in a haphazard or careless manner by a party ignorant of, or unconcerned with, the load-bearing capacity of the existing tasks and supportive structures.

Observers of a taskalanche may mock and/or sympathize with the victims, and there is a substantial amount of victim-blaiming, a belief that the victims brought this mess upon themselves through weakness such as procrastination, naiveté, idiocy, incompetence, ignorance, incontinence, negative karma, rambling run-on sentences, etc.

Victims of a taskalanche are typically defensive, believing all fault to lay with those that suggested or contributed the tasks, never their own failure to perform or be more selective about acceptance.

I just got hit with a taskalanche at work. I've been ignoring pointless tasks for years, and now suddenly they're all urgent and critical. Pick a lane, people.