English idioms relating to
BUSINESS - WORK
1. Have an ace up your sleeve. If you have an ace up your sleeve, it means that you have something in reserve with which you can gain an advantage.
2. Hold all the aces A person who holds all the aces is in a very strong position because they have more advantages than anyone else.
►Given the high unemployment figures in some countries, employers hold all the aces.
3. Ambulance chaser This terms refers to a lawyer who finds work by persuading people injured in accidents to claim money from the person who caused the accident.
►"Peterson & Scott are well-known ambulance chasers - that's how they make their money!"
4. Back to the salt mines Saying that you have to go back to the salt mines is a humorous way of talking about returning to work, usually with some reluctance.
►"We get two days off at Christmas and then it's back to the salt mines!"
5. Bait and switch This term refers to a deceptive commercial practice of advertising a low-priced item to attract customers, then telling them that the product is out of stock and persuading them to buy a more expensive article.
► "This store is famous for its bait and switch tactics."
6. Blame storming A discussion among a group of people, who try to determine who or what is to blame for a particular mistake, failure or wrongdoing, is called 'blame storming'.
► "A blame storming session took place following the unfavourable reviews in the press."
7. A blank cheque If you give someone a blank cheque, you authorize them to do what they think is best in a difficult situation.
►"Tom was given a blank cheque and told to negotiate the best deal possible."
8. Blue chip company This term refers to a company with a solid reputation for the quality of its products and the stability of its growth and earnings.
►"It's usually safe to invest in a blue-chip company.
9. Above board If a situation or business is described as above board, it is open, honest and legal.
►"There are no secret negotiations. Our dealings have always been above board."
10. Get down to brass tacks People who get down to brass tacks start to discuss and deal with the practical details of something
►"It was decided to get down to brass tacks and discuss the cost ofthe project."
11. Break your back If you work extremely hard, or put a lot of effort into achieving something, you break your back to do it.
► "If you want the job done well, you should accept to pay more. He's not going to break his back for such a low price!"
12. Bricks and mortar/ bricks and clicks An established trading company (office/shop) is referred to as a 'brick-and-mortar' business.
'Click companies' refer to Internet-based operations. Companies which do both are called 'bricks and clicks'.
►"Click businesses are usually more flexible than brick-and-mortar operations."
13. Pass the buck If you say that someone is passing the buck, you are accusing them
of not taking responsibility for a problem and expecting someone else to handle it.
14. Business as usual After an unpleasant or unexpected event, this expression means that everything is continuing in a normal way in spite of the difficulties.
► "It was business as usual at the supermarket the day after the hold-up."
15. Business before pleasure This expression means that it is considered preferable to finish one's work before going to relax and enjoy oneself.
► "I'd love to have lunch with you but I've got a report to finish - business before pleasure I'm afraid!"
16. Business is business This is a way of saying that in financial and commercial matters, friendship or personal feelings should not be allowed to have any influence.
►"I'll hire your brother only if he is the best candidate. I'm sorry but business is business!"
17. Carve out a niche A person or company who carves out a niche focuses on a particular segment of the market, to which they supply a product or service, and develop their expertise in that area.
►"In today's competitive market it's better to carve out a niche and try to become the best in that area."
18. A cash cow A product or service which is a regular source of income for a company is called a cash cow.
► "His latest invention turned out to be a real cash cow."
19. Cash in your chips If you cash in your chips, you sell something, especially shares, either because you need the money or because you think the value is going to fall.
► "Andy cashed in his chips as soon as business started to slow down."
20. Too many chiefs and not enough Indians This expression refers to a situation where there are too many people giving instructions and not enough people doing the work.
► "The business wasn't successful. There were too many chiefs and not enough Indians."
21. Clinch a deal In a business relationship, if you clinch a deal, you reach agreement on a proposal or offer.
► "Tom's final argument enabled us to clinch the deal."
21. Cog in the machine If you say that someone is a cog in the machine, you mean that, while they are necessary, they only play a small part in an organization or plan.
► The police quickly realized that the suspect was just a cog in the machine.
22. Make cold calls If you make cold calls, you telephone potential customers from a list of people you do not know.
► "In my first job I had to make cold calls using the telephone directory."
23. Copper-bottomed To describe something such as a plan, a contract or a financial arrangement as 'copper-bottomed' means that it is completely safe or reliable.
► "He has signed a copper-bottomed agreement with a distributor."
24. Corner a market If a company dominates an area of business, and leaves no room for competition, it is said to have cornered the market.
► "By importing large quantities and selling at low prices, they have cornered the market."
25. Creative accounting This term refers to the presentation of a company's results in a way that, although generally legal, glosses over the problems and makes the results appear better than they are.
► "It was suggested that some creative accounting might help to attract investors."
26. Cut and dried To refer to a situation, a problem or a solution as cut and dried means that it is considered clear and straightforward, with no likely complications.
► "When the new manager arrived, he didn't find the situation as cut and dried as he had expected."
27. Dead wood The term dead wood refers to people or things which are no longer considered useful or necessary.
► "The management wants to reduce costs by cutting out the dead wood."
28. Do the spade work
Someone who does the spadework does the preparatory work or the preliminary research for something.
► "Although I did all the spadework, my name was never mentioned."
29. Dog eat dog This expression refers to intense competition and rivalry in pursuit of one's own interests, with no concern for morality.
► "The business world is tough today. There's a general dog-eat-dog attitude."
30. In the doldrums To say that a person, a business or the economy in general is in the doldrums means that the situation is gloomy and that nothing new is happening.
► "Despite the recent measures, the economy remains in the doldrums."
31. A done deal This expression is used to refer to an agreement or decision which has been reached on a certain matter.
► "We're still considering several proposals, so it's not a done deal yet."
32. Done and dusted When a project, task or activity is done and dusted, it is completely finished or ready.
► "I've nearly finished preparing the presentation. When it's all done and
dusted I'll be able to relax."
33. Donkey work This expression is used to describe the unpleasant, boring parts of a job.
"I do the donkey work - my boss gets the credit!"
34. Doom and gloom A general atmosphere of pessimism, and a feeling that the situation is not going to improve, is referred to as doom and gloom.
► "Fortunately it's not doom and gloom for all businesses,in spite of the economic situation."
35. Down the drain To say that money, time or effort has gone down the drain, means that it has been wasted or lost.
"His years of research went down the drain when the company went bankrupt."
36. Drastic times call for drastic measures When faced with a difficult situation, it is sometimes necessary to take
actions which in normal circumstances would appear extreme.
► "Sales dropped so significantly that the company decided to drop the product line. Drastic times call for drastic measures!"
37. Dream ticket If you refer to two people as a dream ticket, you think they would work well together and be successful.
"Clinton and Obama teaming up for the general election would be a dream ticket for many Democrats."
38. Dry (or dummy) run If you organize a rehearsal, a trial exercise or a practice session of something, in realistic conditions, to see how well it will work before it is launched, you do a dry run.
►"Let's do a dry run of the ceremony to make sure everything goes smoothly."
39. Above and beyond the call of duty If a person does something which is above and beyond the call of duty,
they show a greater degree of courage or effort than is usually required or expected in their job.
► "The fire-fighter received a medal for his action which went above and beyond the call of duty."
40. An eager beaver The term eager beaver refers to a person who is hardworking and enthusiastic, sometimes considered overzealous.
"The new accountant works all the time - first to arrive and last to leave -a real eager beaver!"
41. Have all your eggs in one basket If you have all your eggs in one basket, you depend on one plan or one source of income.
► "If you invest your savings in one bank, you'll have all your eggs in one
basket."
42. Use elbow grease If you use elbow grease, you need energy and strength to do physical work such as cleaning or polishing.
► "It took a considerable amount of elbow grease to renovate the old house."
43. Farm something out If something such as work is farmed out, it is sent out to be done by others.
► "We farmed out the packaging to another company."
44. Feather your nest To say of someone that they are feathering their nest is to say that they are taking advantage of their position in order to obtain money so as to have a comfortable life.
45. Fiddling while Rome burns If you say that somebody is fiddling while Rome burns, you mean that they are doing unimportant things while there are serious problems to be dealt with
► "His visit to the trade fair was 'fiddling while Rome burns' according to the strikers."
46. Drag one's feet If you say that a person is dragging their feet, you think they are unnecessarily delaying a decision which is important to you.
47. Think on one's feet A person who thinks on their feet is capable of making good decisions without previous thinking or planning.
► "Good lawyers need to be able to think on their feet when pleading a case."
48. Rushed off your feet. If your are rushed off your feet, your are extremely busy.
► "I'd love to have lunch with you but we're rushed off our feet at the moment at the office."
49. A finger in every pie If someone has a finger in every pie, they are involved in many activities
► "For information about the town development project, you should talk to John Brown. He has a finger in every pie."
50. Work your fingers to the bone A person who works their fingers to the bone is extremely hardworking.
► "He deserves his success; he worked his fingers to the bone when he started the business."
51. A foot in the door To say that someone has a foot in the door means that they have a
small but successful start in something, and will possibly do well in the future.
► "With today's unemployment, it's difficult to get a foot in the door in any profession."
52. A free hand If you have a free hand, you have permission to make your own decisions, especially in a job.
► "My boss has given me a free hand in the choice of agent."
53. Funny business An activity which is conducted in a deceitful, dishonest or unethical manner is called funny business.
► "I've got suspicions about that association. I think they're up to some funny business."
54. Get down to brass tacks When people get down to brass tacks, they start to discuss the essential aspects of a problem or situation.
► "The situation was so serious that after a few polite exchanges ,they immediately got down to brass tacks."
55. Get your hands dirty If you get your hands dirty in your job, you become involved in all aspects of it, including work that is physical, unpleasant or less interesting.
► "His willingness to get his hands dirty won the respect and approval of the whole team.
56. Get the hang of something When you get the hang of an activity, you now know how to do it correctly.
57. Get something off the ground If you get something off the ground, you put it into operation after having organized it.
► "After a lot of hard work, we finally got the campaign off the ground.
58. Get the show on the road If you manage to put a plan or idea into action, you get the showon the road.
► "OK! We've got all we need, so let's get the show on the road!"
59. Give someone a run for their money If you give someone a run for their money, you present strong competition in circumstances where the other person expects to win easily.
► "We didn't win the match but we gave the other team a run for their money."
60. Go belly up If a business or project goes belly up, it is unsuccessful or goes bankrupt.
► "The restaurant went belly up before the end of the first year."
61. Go for a song If something goes for a song, it is sold at an unexpectedly low price.
► "I was able to buy the car simply because it going for a song."
62. Go out of business If a shop, firm or enterprise goes out of business, it closes down or goes bankrupt.
► "If the new road bypasses the town, a lot of shops will go out of business."
63. Going concern This expression refers to a business or activity that is dynamic and successful.
► "They opened a coffee shop that is a going concern today."
64. Golden handcuffs The term golden handcuffs refers to a large sum of money or a generous financial arrangement granted to an executive as an incentive to stay in their job, or to ensure long-term cooperation after their departure.
65. Golden handshake A golden handshake is a generous sum of money given to a person
when they leave a company or retire (sometimes given to encourage early retirement).
66. Golden opportunity A golden opportunity is a favourable time or excellent occasion
which should not be missed.
67. Golden parachute A golden parachute is a clause in an executive's employment contract
stating that the executive will receive certain large benefits if their employment is terminated.
68. Grease somebody's palm If you accuse someone of greasing somebody's palm, you are
accusing them of giving money to someone in order to gain an unfair advantage, or to obtain something they want.
► "In some countries, it is common practice to grease government officials' palms."
69. One hand washes the other...(... and together they wash the face.) This expression means that when people cooperate and work well
together, there is a better chance of achieving results.
70. The upper hand If a person or organization gets or gains the upper hand, they take control over something.
71. All hands on deck When there is a need for all hands on deck, everyone must help, especially when there's a lot of work to be done in a short amount of time.
► "As the opening day approached, it was all hands on deck to have everything ready in time."
72. Have one's hands tied If a person has their hands tied, something, such as an agreement or a rule, is preventing them from doing what they would like to do.
► "Mark deserves to earn more, but the manager's hands are tied by the recent salary agreement."
73. Hive of activity hive of activity (also: a beehive)
A place where there are lots of things happening, and everyone is very busy, is called a hive of activity.
► "When I arrived at the office, it was already a hive of activity."
74. Household name/word When the name of someone or something becomes very familiar because it is so often used, it is called a household name or word.
► "The product was so successful that its name became a household word in no time."
75. Irons in the fire If you have a few, or many, irons in the fire, you are involved in a number of projects at the same time.
► "The travel agency is not his only venture - he's got more than one iron in the fire."
76. Jump on the bandwagon If a person or organization jumps on the bandwagon, they decide to do something when it is already successful or fashionable.
► "When organic food became popular, certain stores were quick to jump on the bandwagon and promote it."
77. Keep one's head above water To keep one's head above water means to try to survive
by staying out of debt, for example a small business.
78. Hit the ground running
If someone hits the ground running, they are ready to start work immediately on a new activity.
► "He intends to hit the ground running when he starts his new job."
79. Keep your nose to the grindstone A person who keeps their nose to the grindstone is someone who concentrates on working hard at his job.
80. Knuckle down to something If someone knuckles down to something, they start to work on it seriously.
► "If you want to succeed, you'll have to knuckle down to some serious work."
81. Lame duck A person or organization that is in difficulty and unable to manage without help is called a lame duck.
►"Some banks have become lame ducks recently."
82. Learn the hard way If you learn the hard way, you learn through your own experience, good and bad, rather than from the advice or guidance of others.
► "His refusal to accept any help meant that he had to learn the hardway."
83. Let me bounce this off you. You say this when you present an idea or plan to someone in order to test their reaction or obtain feedback.
► "I think I've found a way of making money. Let me bounce this off you."
84. The left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing This expression means that communication within a group or organization is so bad that people don't know what the others are doing.
85. Licence to print money This expression refers to an officially authorized activity which enables people to make a lot of money without much effort.
► "The contract to supply computers to schools was a license to print money."
86. Lip service If you pay lip service to an idea or cause, you give verbal support or approval but fail to actually do anything.
► "In spite of promising equal pay for women, the management is suspected of paying lip service to the promotion of women's rights."
87. Make hay while the sun shines This expression is used as an encouragement to take advantage of a good situation which may not last.
► Successful sportsmen are advised to make hay while the sun shines.
88. Mix business with pleasure When people mix business with pleasure, they combine work and leisure or social activities.
"Seminars or training sessions that include leisure activities are a good way of mixing business and pleasure."
89. Money spinner If an activity is a money spinner, it is a very successful way of making money.
► "Washing cars was quite a money spinner when I was a student."
90. Put money where your mouth is If you put money where your mouth is, you give financial support to activities and causes that you believe are right.
91. Monkey business An activity which is organized in a deceitful or dishonest way is called monkey business.
"The results announced seem suspicious - I think there's some monkey business going on!"
92. Move the goalposts During a course of action, if someone moves the goalposts, they change the rules or conditions.
► "We've decided on a sales campaign. Let's hope the boss doesn't move the goalposts halfway through! "
93. Movers and shakers The term movers and shakers refers to people in power who take an active part in making things happen.
► "Movers and shakers are assembling in Brussels for the summit."
94. Nitty-gritty When people get down to the nitty-gritty, they begin to discuss the most important points or the practical details.
"I was interested in the project, but we didn't get down to the nitty-gritty until his partner arrived."
95. Nuts and bolts The nuts and bolts of something are the detailed facts and the practical aspects.
► "We need to discuss the nuts and bolts of the proposal before going any further."
96. (One's) opposite number Someone who holds the same position as oneself in another company or organization is called one's opposite number.
► "I spoke to my opposite number in several local companies and we all agreed to join the anti-pollution campaign."
97. Ostrich strategy/politics This term refers to the phenomenon of ignoring or evading an obvious problem in the hope that it will resolve itself or disappear.
► "Adopting an ostrich strategy will only make matters worse - we've got to find a solution!"
98. Overplay your hand
If you overplay your hand, you are overconfident and spoil your chances of success by trying to obtain too much.
► "Sam is hoping for a bonus for his good results, but he may be overplaying his hand if he asks for a promotion."
99. Pass the buck If you say that someone is passing the buck, you are accusing them of not taking responsibility for a problem and letting others deal with it instead.
► "Whenever a customer comes to complain, she always finds a way of looking busy. Talk about passing the buck!"
100. Pass muster If someone or something passes muster, they are considered to be satisfactory or acceptable.
► "The interview went well. I hope I'll pass muster."
101. Pick up steam If something such as a project or process picks up steam, it starts to develop or become more active.
► "The campaign started slowly but it picked up steam after Christmas."
102. Piece of the action When someone wants a piece of the action, they want to participate in what other people are doing and benefit from it.
► "The songwriter thought the show would be a success so he wanted a piece of the action."
103. In the pipeline If something is in the pipeline, it is in progress or being organized at the moment.
104. Play for time If you play for time, you try to delay or prevent something from happening in order to gain an advantage.
► "He decided to play for time in the hope that the price would decrease."
105. Play the game If you play the game, you accept to do things according to the rules laid down by others.
106. Play second fiddle If you play second fiddle to somebody, you accept to be second in importance to that person, or have a lower position.
107. Play the market If you play the market, you buy stocks and shares in the hope of making a profit when you sell them.
"It's always tempting to play the market, but it's more risky at the present time."
108. Pull strings If somebody pulls strings, they use influential friends in order to obtain an advantage.
► "David found a job easily - his Dad just pulled a few strings!"
109. Pull your weight If you say that someone pulls their weight, you mean that they do their fair share of the work.
► "It's great working with Sandra. She always pulls her weight."
110. Put your shoulder to the wheel If you put your shoulder to the wheel, you start putting a lot of effort into a difficult task.
► "We'll have to put our shoulders to the wheel to get the store ready for the opening day."
111. A race against time If someone is in a race against time, they have to work very quickly in order to do or finish something before a certain time.
112. Red tape The term red tape refers to official rules and bureaucratic paperwork that prevent things from being done quickly.
► "If there wasn't so much red tape, the company would be up and running already."
113. Roaring trade If you do a roaring trade in a particular field, you do excellent business.
► "The sports shop is doing a roaring trade in bicycles these days."
114. Roll up your sleeves When you roll up your sleeves, you get ready for hard work.
► "To increase our market share we'll have to roll up our sleeves and find new customers."
115. Learn the ropes If you learn the ropes, you learn how to a particular job correctly.
116. Run round in circles People who run round in circles have difficulty in achieving things because of lack of organization.
► "Running round in circles will get us nowhere - we need to set up a plan."
117. Not up to scratch If something or somebody is not up to scratch, they are not as good as they should be.
118. Seal of approval If a project or contract receives a seal of approval, it receives formal support or approval from higher authorities.
► "We can't conclude the deal without the director's seal of approval."
119. Separate the sheep from the goats If you separate the sheep from the goats, you examine a group of people and decide which are good and which are not so good.
► "Examining job applications is the first stage in separating the sheep from the goats.
120. Set the stage (for something) If you set the stage for an event or a development, you create conditions that allow it to happen.
► "The agreement set the stage for their future working relationship."
121. Shape up or ship out This expression is used to warn someone that if they do not improve, they will have to leave their job.
"When Tom started neglecting the customers, he was told to shape up or ship out."
122. Shotgun approach If you use a shotgun approach, you cover a wide range in a non-selective, haphazard and inefficient manner.
► "Identifying a specific segment of the market as our target will be more effective than a shotgun approach.
123.Signed, sealed and delivered When an agreement, contract or treaty is signed, sealed and delivered, all the legal documents have been signed.
► "It is hoped that the agreement will be signed, sealed and delivered before the end of the week."
124. Skeleton staff/crew If a business or organization works with a skeleton staff, it is run with the
smallest number of people necessary.
► "The office is closed the week after Christmas but there will be a skeleton staff to handle essential operations."
125. Sleeping /silent partner This term refers to a person who invests money in a business without taking an active part in its management, and whose association with the enterprise is not public knowledge.
► "He works alone, but his business is partly financed by a sleeping partner."
126. Slice/share of the cake (or pie) When people feel entitled to a share of the benefits or profits, they want a (larger) slice of the cake.
► "Since profits are higher this year, the workers feel they deserve a bigger slice of the cake."
127. Smokestack industries Industries involved in heavy manufacturing such as the production of iron and steel, especially if they cause a lot of pollution, are called smokestack industries.
► "Smokestack industries are no longer authorized in residential areas."
128. In smooth waters A business or operation which is in smooth waters is making regular and easy progress.
► "The company seems to be in smooth waters these days."
129. Snowed under Someone who is snowed under has so many things to do, usually work, that they feel unable to cope with it all.
► "With the 'flu epidemic, doctors and nurses are completely snowed under."
130. Put a spanner in the works To put a spanner in the works means to cause problems and prevent something from happening as planned.
(In the US, the word wrench or monkey wrench is used instead of spanner)
131. Speed networking This refers to a relatively new urban trend which consists in making a potential business contact by briefly talking to a series of people at an organized event and exchanging contact details.
132. Start the ball rolling If you start the ball rolling, you start an activity in which other people will join.
►"Let's start the ball rolling by calling on our first speaker."
133. Step into the breach If you step into the breach, you do work that someone is unexpectedly unable to do.
►"Steve stepped into the breach when his colleague David had a car accident."
134. Step into someone's shoes If you step into someone's shoes, you take over a job or position held by someone else before you.
►"William has been trained to step into his father's shoes when he retires."
135. Strictly business An appointment or event that is entirely devoted to business, with no leisure or relaxation, is called strictly business.
►"Yes we had lunch together but it was strictly business."
136. Sweat of your brow If you earn or achieve something by the sweat of your brow, you do it through hard work and without help from anyone.
"I got a comfortable lifestyle by the sweat of my brow. I owe it to nobody but myself."
137. Sweetheart deal The term sweetheart deal is used to refer to an abnormally lucrative arrangement between two parties.
►"Opponents say that the contract was awarded to the builder as part of a sweetheart deal, and is therefore illegal."
138. Take the floor When someone takes the floor, they rise to make a speech or presentation.
► "When I take the floor, my speech will be short." he said.
139. Take a nosedive If something takes a nosedive, it drops or decreases in value very rapidly.
►"The stock market took a nosedive when the property market began to weaken."
140. Take something offline If you suggest that a subject be taken offline, (during a meeting for example), you consider that it is a separate issue and should be discussed at another time.
►"Peter, you're confusing things, so let's take that offline shall we?"
141. Talk shop If you talk shop, you talk about your work or business in a social situation with someone you work with, and make the conversation boring for the others present.
►"I never go out with my colleagues because we inevitably end up talking shop."
142. There for the taking If something is there for the taking, it is easy to obtain.
►"When our main competitor went out of business, the market was there for the taking."
143. Think outside the box/out of the box People who think outside the box try to find innovative ideas or solutions.
►"Our competitors are more creative than us - they really think outside the box.
144. Throw it over the wall If someone throws something over the wall, they deal with part of a problem or project, then pass responsibility to another person or department without any communication or coordination.
►"You can't just manufacture a product and then throw it over the wall to the sales department."
145. Too much like hard work An activity or task that requires too much effort is too much like hard work.
►"It's so hot today, there's no way I'm going to do any cooking. It's too much like hard work!"
146. Top dog To say that a person, group or country is top dog means that they are better or more powerful than others.
►"She's top dog in cosmetics today."
147. Tricks of the trade This expression refers to a clever or expert way of doing things, especially in a job.
►"He's a tough negotiator; he knows all the tricks of the trade."
148. Up and running If a business or a plan is up and running, it has started and is functioning successfully.
► "In some countries you can have a company up and running in a very short time."
149. Nothing ventured, nothing gained This expression means that you cannot expect to achieve anything if you risk nothing.
►"He's going to ask his boss for a promotion even though he has little chance of obtaining satisfaction - nothing ventured, nothing gained!"
150. Walking papers If you are given your walking papers, your contract or a relationship is ended.
►"After causing a diplomatic incident, Carter got his walking papers."
151. Wear many hats Someone who wears many hats has to do many different types of tasks or play a variety of roles.
►"Our company is small so the employees need to be flexible and accept to wear many hats.
152. Wheeling and dealing Someone accused of wheeling and dealing is thought to be involved in complicated, if not dishonest, deals in business or politics.
► "Since the beginning of the election campaign, there's been a lot of wheeling and dealing going on."
153. Win-win The term win-win refers to a situation or proposition where both or all parties benefit from the outcome.
►"There were smiles all round when the contract was signed - it was a win-win situation."
