Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
www.angolintezet.hu
RAISE THE BAR
To raise the bar is to increase expectations or standards, especially by
creating something better. This expression, first recorded in 1900,
comes from the high jump event in track and field, in which athletes
have to jump over a horizontal bar of ever increasing height.
“BMW’s new active suspension has raised the bar for the whole automotive
industry.”
“By asking us to increase our sales figures by 10% our boss has raised the bar
once more.”
Usage tip: the past forms of the verb ‘to raise’ are ‘raised’ and
‘raised’.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO SCRAPE THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL
To scrape the bottom of the barrel means to use the worst quality
people or objects because nothing better is available. In a barrel of oil
the lighter, more useable fractions float to the top and the thicker
fractions sink to the bottom. Once the best oil has been used, all that
is left is a thick sludge at the bottom which can only be removed with
effort.
“Have you brought Adam onto the team? That’s really scraping the bottom of
the barrel!”
“I refuse to scrape the bottom of the barrel! Find me a high-performance
computer.”
Usage tip: the past forms of the verb ‘to scrape’ are ‘scraped’ and
‘scraped’.
www.angolintezet.hu
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO
Without further ado means immediately, or without any delay,
ceremony, fuss or work. The word ‘ado’ dates from the 12 th century
and means ‘what is being done’.
“Without further ado, I would like to present our main speaker for the day.”
“Since it was late they ended the meeting without further ado and went
home.”
Usage tip: using this expression can give a dramatic flourish to your
speech.
www.angolintezet.hu
WORD OF MOUTH
Word of mouth is informal oral communication. Information is
passed from one person to another by talking. This is different from
written communication or advertising on the television or radio.
“A successful local business can expand quite quickly by word-of-mouth
advertising.”
“Many people have discovered this restaurant by word of mouth.”
Usage tip: this expression is often introduced by the preposition ‘by’.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO TOUCH BASE
To touch base is to communicate with someone, normally in person,
in order to share the latest information, problems and ideas. This
comes from the sport of baseball, in which players on one team score
points by progressing from base to base, touching them on the way.
“What is happening on the Alphatech project? Let’s touch base this afternoon
over a coffee.”
“The bank has arranged a meeting to touch base with its shareholders.”
Usage tip: the word ‘base’ appears only in its singular form. This
expression is informal.
www.angolintezet.hu
UP IN THE AIR
If something is up in the air, then it is undecided or uncertain. Due to
the law of gravity, the final resting place of anything is on the ground,
not in the air.
“The whole future of this hospital is still up in the air. A decision is expected
soon, however.”
“I still don’t know whether I will get the job. I phoned the manager and he said
it was up in the air.”
Usage tip: use the verb ‘to be’ with this adjectival expression.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO BE SWAMPED OVER
To be swamped means to have an excessive amount of work to do.
Synonyms of ‘swamped’ are ‘overloaded’, ‘overburdened’, and
‘overwhelmed’. A swamp is an area of wetland, in which it is very
difficult to move due to the wet and sticky nature of the ground.
“I will be late home tonight. The boss has just given me more to do and I will be
swamped for hours.”
“I’m sorry but I can’t help you right now. I am totally swamped!”
Usage tip: it is also possible to say ‘swamped with work’.
www.angolintezet.hu
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
The elephant in the room represents a large, obvious and urgent
problem that should be dealt with, yet no one is willing to talk about
it because it makes them feel uncomfortable. In 1814 poet Ivan
Krylov wrote a short story about a man in a museum who sees many
things, yet fails to notice a large elephant.
“Immigration is the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about.”
“We cannot ignore the elephant in the room any more. This company is in real
danger of going bankrupt.”
Usage tip: this idiom can be used to paint a memorable picture in
your listener’s mind.
www.angolintezet.hu
THINK BIG
To think big is to be ambitious, or to have plans to be very successful
or powerful. If you think big then your plans will involve a lot of
resources: time, money, people, space, and effort.
“When Elon Musk imagines a new concept, he always thinks big.”
“Don’t be satisfied with working in a office your whole life, think big!”
Usage tip: The opposite of ‘to think big’ is ‘to think small’.
www.angolintezet.hu
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
To think outside the box is to think freely and not be restricted by
old, conventional and limiting rules, structures, ways of thinking, or
practices. People who think outside the box are creative, visionary,
inventive and original.
“Only by thinking outside the box were they able to imagine a quantum
supercomputer.”
“People who work in advertising routinely think outside the box.”
Usage tip: the opposite of ‘to think outside the box’ is ‘to think inside
the box’.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD
To go back to the drawing board is a phrase used when it is time to
start something again from the very beginning. This phrase is
attributed to the artist Peter Arno in 1941, from his drawing in which
a plane designer uses this phrase after his prototype has crashed.
“In creating the Windows Operating System, Bill Gates had to go back to the
drawing board several times.”
“If the boss refuses my project proposal I will have to go back to the drawing
board.”
Usage tip: the verb ‘to return’ is not correct here, only the verb ‘to go
back’.
www.angolintezet.hu
HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD
To hit the nail on the head is to say something that is exactly correct
or true. When a carpenter hits a nail on the head it travels cleanly
into the wood, but if he does this at an incorrect angle the nail bends.
In this way hitting the nail on the head signifies accuracy.
“When John said that we most need to improve customer relations he hit the
nail on the head.”
“You really hit the nail on the head by saying that money is the real reason why
he is angry.”
Usage tip: the past forms of the verb ‘to hit’ are ‘hit’ and ‘hit’.
www.angolintezet.hu
IN A NUTSHELL
If you describe something in a nutshell, you use the fewest possible
words to describe it. In a nutshell means briefly, or giving only the
main points.
“In a nutshell, the day was a complete disaster and I wish I had never gone
there.”
“The politician told us in a nutshell that he planned to increase employment
and decrease crime.”
Usage tip: ‘in a nutshell’ should be placed at the beginning of the
sentence or after the verb.
(Erről az idiómáról készült videónk is, melyet ide kattintva tekinthetsz meg.)
www.angolintezet.hu
LOOPHOLE
A loophole is a part of the law or of a set of rules which contains a
small mistake, and therefore can be used to do something that
should be illegal but actually isn’t. A loophole is also a small hole in
the wall of a castle or fort, through which arrows could be fired at
your enemy.
“He avoided having to pay a fine for speeding because his lawyer found a
loophole in the law.”
“The government has promised to close all the loopholes in the tax law to force
everyone to pay fairly.”
Usage tip: one can find, use, exploit or close a loophole.
www.angolintezet.hu
LOSE → GAIN GROUND
To lose ground is to be forced backwards in a contest by your
opponent. In a literal sense, it can also mean to become less popular
or less successful.
“During the last fiscal year this company has lost a lot of ground to its
competitors.”
“The concept of individual social responsibility has, surprisingly, lost no
ground.”
Usage tip: the past forms of the verb ‘to lose’ are ‘lost’ and ‘lost’.
www.angolintezet.hu
NINE-TO-FIVE
Nine-to-five refers to standard hours of work or business. It is often
used to describe jobs that are standard, routine, boring or
unfulfilling.
“Bored of his nine-to-five job, he quit and worked on a cruise ship in the
Mediterranean.”
“The nine-to-five might be uninspiring, but at least it offers job security.”
Usage tip: ‘nine-to-five’ is an adjective, whereas ‘a nine-to-fiver’ is a person
who works standard hours.
www.angolintezet.hu
NO BRAINER
A no-brainer is something that requires little to no mental effort. It is
used to describe decisions and choices that are easy to make, as well
as things that should be obvious to everyone.
“The decision whether to sell this painting for £1m was a no-brainer.”
“The latest version of Android is so good that installing it is a no-brainer.”
Usage tip: ‘no-brainer’ does not describe people, but decisions,
choices or conclusions.
www.angolintezet.hu
STATE OF THE ART
Something that is state-of-the-art uses the latest technology available
at the time of its manufacture. Synonyms of state-of-the-art include
‘latest’, ‘up-to-date’ and ‘hi-tech’.
“The latest Rolls Royce Phantom features state-of-the-art speaker panels in the
doors.”
“When this computer was launched in 1973 it was considered to be state of the
art.”
Usage tip: when this adjective is placed before a noun, use hyphens
to connect the four words together.
www.angolintezet.hu
BALLPARK FIGURE
A ballpark figure is an approximate estimate of the value of
something. This is used when the exact figure is not available in order
to help with planning. Ballparks are so large that hitting a ball into
one has great margin for error.
“Can you give me a ballpark figure of how much this building will cost when it is
completed?”
“That is just a ballpark figure. I will be able to give you a more exact calculation
next month.”
Usage tip: this is a compound noun, which means that these two
words are never separated.
www.angolintezet.hu
PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE
To put the cart before the horse means to do things in an incorrect
order. The horse always goes before the cart so that it can pull it
effectively. This expression was first recorded in the early 16 th
century, when travel by horse and cart was commonplace.
“Building football stadiums without having teams to play in them is putting the
cart before the horse.”
“You put the cart before the horse when you planned your wedding before
asking her out on a date.”
Usage tip: the medieval version of this expression was ‘to set the
oxen before the yoke’.
-
www.angolintezet.hu
BIG PICTURE
The big picture is an overview of the current situation. The big picture
focuses on the whole, not on any particular detail.
“Some factories made a loss, but looking at the big picture reveals that our
company is profitable.”
“Let me give you the big picture: sales and revenue have gone up, but profit
has stagnated.”
Usage tip: you can look at, focus on, consider, summarise, give or
think of the big picture.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO DO THINGS BY THE BOOK
To do things by the book means to follow the standard and accepted
procedure for accomplishing a particular task. This procedure may or
may not be written down somewhere. If you do things by the book
you do not change, improvise or alter the official method. The book
in question may be a rule book of some sort.
“Auditors check to see whether a company has been run by the book.”
“He was a rebel and consequently never did things by the book.“
Usage tip: you can ‘do things by the book’ or ‘go by the book’.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO CALL IT A DAY
To call it a day means to stop doing something. Most of the time this
refers to the end of your working day, when you decide that you wish
to work no more on that particular day. It can also be used to talk
about retirement or ending some other long-performed activity.
“At 7pm he decided to call it a day, go home and get some rest.”
“After a long and successful career in insurance, he called it a day at the end of
2016.”
Usage tip: if you work when it is dark outside, you can use the
expression ‘to call it a night’.
www.angolintezet.hu
COME UP SHORT
To come up short is used when something is insufficient or not
enough. It can also be used to describe failing to win, or failing to
achieve something.
“He has entered that singing competition five times, but always comes up
short.”
“The protestors came up short in their attempts to get 50,000 signatures to
help fight climate change.”
Usage tip: ‘to come up short’ is more informal than ‘to be
insufficient’.
www.angolintezet.hu
CORNER A MARKET
To corner a market means to buy enough of a certain product to be
able to dictate the price of that product. (When someone is forced
into a corner they cannot move.) Cornering the market requires a lot
of money initially, but once it is done the benefits are great.
Nowadays governments investigate such activity because they think
it is illegal.
“In the 1970’s Nelson Bunker tried to corner the silver market by buying half of
the world’s silver.”
“McDonald’s have cornered the fast food market: their restaurants can be
found in every country.”
Usage tip: the noun ‘a corner’ can also be used in this context.
www.angolintezet.hu
CUT CORNERS
To cut corners is to complete a job by using the cheapest materials
and ignoring rules that guarantee safe operation and high standards.
This originates from driving a horse and cart. By cutting the corner,
meaning turning too sharply in order to save time, there was the risk
that the wheel of the cart might hit something.
“Unreliable workmen often cut corners, the low-quality result of which must be
corrected.”
“Never cut corners when servicing the electrics in your home: your life may
depend on it.”
Usage tip: the word ‘corners’ always appears in its plural form.
www.angolintezet.hu
CUT YOUR LOSSES
To cut your losses is to stop doing what you were doing in order to
prevent a bad situation from getting worse. The temptation exists,
when things are going badly, to continue in the hope that the
situation will improve and then loss will turn into profit. In reality the
best thing to do is simply stop.
“A good gambler knows when to cut his losses. A bad one throws more money
down the hole.”
“The share price fell for the fifth day in a row. He realised that it was time for
him to cut his losses.”
Usage tip: the opposite of ‘to cut your losses’ is ‘to ride your gains’.
www.angolintezet.hu
UP THE ANTE
To up the ante means to increase the cost or risk of something in the
hope of a better reward later. This idiom comes from the game of
poker. An ‘ante’ in the 1800’s was the price required to join a game
of poker. Players could choose to increase this to make joining the
game more difficult.
“The UN has upped the ante by refusing to mediate before the two sides stop
fighting.”
“Sky Sports upped the ante by making a huge offer for the rights to broadcast
Premiership football.”
Usage tip: the past forms of the verb ‘to up’ are ‘upped’ and ‘upped’.
www.angolintezet.hu
I’LL HANDLE THIS
To handle something is to manage, control or take action to solve a
problem. If you handle something as well as dealing with it, you are
responsible for it.
“Negotiators were called in to handle the dispute between the two
companies.”
“This customer has a complaint. Do you think you could handle it for me
please?”
Usage tip: you can also use adverbs, such as ‘to handle something
well’ or ‘to handle something badly’.
www.angolintezet.hu
GIVE THE THUMBS UP OR DOWN
To give something the thumbs up is to give your approval of
something, to show that you think that something is a good idea. The
gesture of a thumbs up is thought to have originated in Roman times,
whereby the emperor would spare the life of a defeated gladiator
and allow him to live.
“The CEO has given this project the thumbs up. Work starts on it tomorrow.”
“Families all across the country have given the new tax credits the thumbs up.”
Usage tip: the opposite of this expression is ‘to give something the
thumbs down’.
www.angolintezet.hu
GO BROKE
To go broke means to spend or lose all of your money. This is a less
formal synonym of the expression ‘to go bankrupt’. In ancient times
your credit rating was written on a clay tablet. When you had no
money left this was broken.
“After the global recession both he and his company went broke.”
“If I have to pay for car repairs this month as well as everyday items I will go
broke.”
Usage tip: the word ‘broke’ here is an adjective.
www.angolintezet.hu
GO THE EXTRA MILE
To go the extra mile is to perform more work than is expected in an
attempt to help or impress someone. People who go the extra mile
are viewed as helpful, resourceful and hard-working. This idiom can
be traced all the way back to the Bible, in the book of Matthew.
“The staff at that hotel are willing to go the extra mile to make sure their guests
are happy.”
“If you want to get promoted you must prove yourself by going the extra mile.”
Usage tip: a common use of this is ‘to be willing to go the extra mile’.
www.angolintezet.hu
GRAY AREA
A grey area describes a situation in which it is difficult to decide what
is right and what is wrong. In the same way that the colour grey lies
between black and white, arguments on both sides can be accepted.
“Entering the country to provide help without a visa is currently a grey area.”
“The law on workers compensation is a grey area. It is not sure that you will get
anything.”
Usage tip: this noun is normally used with the verb to be.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO BE UP TO SOMEONE
If an issue is up to you, you will make the decision(s) about this issue.
If something is not up to you, you can only wait for the decision to be
made elsewhere.
“How big my pay rise will be is entirely up to the boss. I hope I have
impressed him this year.”
“Whether you can enter the restaurant is not up to me. We must
wait for the manager.”
Usage tip: this expression always includes the verb ‘to be’.
www.angolintezet.hu
A GAME PLAN
A game plan is a carefully thought-out strategy for achieving an
objective. Originally this was used in the sport of Gridiron, otherwise
known as American Football, to describe the course of actions
needed by one side to score points in the game. It has since been
used in the realm of business.
“You failed because your game plan was badly thought out and badly
executed.”
“All great managers should have multiple game plans to deal with different
situations.”
Usage tip: you can have, write, think out, devise, stick to, execute or
abandon a game plan.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO GET INTO THE SWING OF THINGS
When you get into the swing of things you become comfortable
doing something and even enjoy it.
“It took me a while to get into the swing of things, but now I can do my job
easily.”
“With staff members leaving every week, it was difficult for the manager to get
into the swing of things.”
Usage tip: for doing something a second time, the expression is ‘to
get back into the swing of things’.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO GET DOWN TO BUSINESS
To get down to business means to stop doing unimportant things and
start doing what needs to be done. When you get down to business
you become serious about a given topic and give it the attention that
it deserves.
“Now that we have all introduced ourselves I suggest that we get down to
business immediately.”
“Upon first meeting Americans like small talk, whereas Germans get down to
business straightaway.”
Usage tip: the most common way of using this is in the expression
‘Let’s get down to business!’
www.angolintezet.hu
TO GET THE BALL ROLLING
To get the ball rolling is to do something in order to start a process,
the idea being that once the process is activated it will be difficult for
it to stop. The origins of this expression are a little unclear, but one
possible explanation could come from the game of croquet, where
the object is to hit a ball through hoops placed in the ground.
“We have to get the ball rolling on this project. I have arranged a kick-off
meeting for tomorrow.”
“Shy people always wait for someone else to get the ball rolling in a social
setting.”
Usage tip: once the ball is rolling, you can use the expression ‘to keep
the ball rolling’.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO GIVE SOMEONE A PAT ON THE BACK
To give someone a pat on the back is a way of praising them for
something that they have done well. A pat is gentle contact made
with an open hand. This expression can be used literally, when actual
contact is made, or figuratively, when no contact is made but the
recipient knows that they are being praised.
“Taking his son to Disneyland was the pat on the back for getting top marks in
his exams.”
“I worked all weekend on this project and all I got was a pat on the back! What
about a pay rise?”
Usage tip: you can also give yourself a pat on the back if you think
you deserve praise for something.
www.angolintezet.hu
GROUNDBREAKING
Something that is groundbreaking is new, innovative and significantly
better than previous versions. Synonyms of this word include
‘modern’, ‘advanced’ and ‘revolutionary’.
“Marie Curie was honoured for her groundbreaking work in the study of
radiation.”
“The invention of the quantum computer was a groundbreaking moment in the
history of the world.”
Usage tip: the word ‘groundbreaking’ usually comes before a noun,
and sometimes after the verb ’to be’.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE
Being on the same page means having approximately the same
knowledge or understanding about a particular situation as the other
members of the group. Being on the same page is a great starting
point for a discussion, but it does not guarantee that total agreement
will be reached.
“Before we start this conversation, let’s just check that everyone is on the same
page.”
“I don’t think you and I are on the same page. Let’s talk through the issues once
more.”
Usage tip: the opposite of this is ‘to not be on the same page’.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO PLAY HARDBALL
To play hardball is to use aggressive tactics in order to win a game,
competition or contest. This comes from the sport of baseball, which
uses a hard ball, which can cause injury or damage to the players.
Playing hardball signifies that the contest is serious.
“The shop manager refused to give me my money back, so I had to play
hardball with him.”
“Playing hardball in negotiations is a certain way to destroy any friendship
between parties.”
Usage tip: using sporting expressions in business can make you seem
unserious.
www.angolintezet.hu
RED TAPE
Red tape refers to having too much regulation which makes progress
and decision making slow. Examples of red tape include filling out
forms and other paperwork, obtaining licences to get permission to
do something, and having decisions made by groups of people. Red
tape is associated with large organisations and governments. In the
16 th century the administration of the King of Spain started to use
red tape to bind important documents together.
“If this company wants to improve its efficiency it should cut out all of this red
tape.”
“Trying to get building permission from the authority has resulted in me
drowning in red tape!”
Usage tip: ‘red tape’ is normally used to show how frustrating some
systems are.
www.angolintezet.hu
A SAFE BET
A safe bet is a result that is likely, a result which you think will occur.
If you gambled on this result, you would feel reasonably secure that
you would not lose your money. The opposite of a safe bet is a risky
bet.
“It is a safe bet that the local authority will agree to allow construction in this
area.”
“He was a safe bet for election since everyone liked him.”
Usage tip: this noun phrase can be used with the verb ‘to be’.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO SEE EYE TO EYE
To see eye to eye (with someone) means to agree (with someone)
completely. Two people looking at each other in the eye is a sure way
to build agreement. This may be one of the oldest idioms in the
English language, as it was first noted in the Bible, in the book of
Isiah.
“Now that we see eye to eye we can proceed to the next phase of the
negotiations.”
“James and Mike don’t see eye to eye on how to write the contract.”
Usage tip: the full form is: ‘to see eye to eye with someone’.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO SEE SOMETHING THROUGH
To see something through means to continue doing something until
it is finished, especially if it is something that is difficult, unpleasant
or demands sacrifice. If you see something through you have made a
commitment not to give up or quit.
“I promised the boss that I would see this project through no matter how much
time it takes.”
“Building the bridge will take ten years. Are you able to see it through?”
Usage tip: the word order in this phrasal verb is fixed.
www.angolintezet.hu
SNAIL MAIL
Snail mail is conventional mail sent through the postal system. The
term ‘snail’ was used after the arrival of e-mail in order to describe
how much slower it is to send something physically than it is to send
it electronically.
“He insisted that our communication be sent via snail mail to avoid it being
hacked.”
“Your clients will remember a snail mail letter much more than an e-mail.”
Usage tip: use the preposition ‘via’ when talking about how a letter is
sent.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO STAND ONE’S GROUND
To stand one’s ground is to continue to hold your beliefs in an
argument, even when others put pressure on you to change your
position. This expression derives from a refusal to be pushed
backwards in either a physical sense or in a literal sense.
“Kelly stood her ground in the meeting and was not intimidated by Dan’s
anger.”
“I stood my ground in the negotiations and got all the money I had originally
asked for.”
Usage tip: the word ‘ground’ must be preceded by my, your, his, her,
its, our or their.
www.angolintezet.hu
A BLUE-COLLAR WORKER
A blue-collar worker describes someone who performs manual
labour. He or she typically is a builder, farmer, firefighter, mechanic,
cleaner, or factory worker. Such jobs do not typically require a
university degree and pay weekly wages. This expression was first
used in the 1920’s when people who worked with their hands tended
to wear blue-coloured overalls to protect themselves from dirt and
grime.
“Nuclear power reactor operator is the highest-paid blue-collar job currently
available.”
“Many blue-collar workers consider themselves to be working class.”
Usage tip: You can say that ‘someone is a blue-collar worker’, or that
‘they have a blue-collar job’.
www.angolintezet.hu
A WHITE-COLLAR WORKER
A white-collar worker describes someone who does an office-based
job. He or she typically is a manager, designer, lawyer, architect,
banker, accountant, or computer programmer. He or she usually has
a degree and earns a good salary. This expression was first used in
the 1920’s when people who worked in an office tended to wear a
white shirt and a tie.
“The new working hours directive will affect white-collar workers the most.”
“He failed in his bid to become president because he did not appeal to white-
collar workers.”
Usage tip: this term can be used to describe someone both politically and
socially.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO BE OUT OF POCKET
To be out of pocket, is to have made a financial loss. This means that
you have less money than previously. Often, this is due to problematic
situations that mean you have to pay for things that you did not
anticipate, or lost money through bad investments.
“When the market crashed, everyone in my sector was out of pocket.”
“She did very well, but I am now rather out of pocket.”
Vocabulary tip: This is an adjectival phrase, so always used with the
verb TO BE.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO GET ONE’S HANDS DIRTY
To get one’s hands dirty, means to do some hard, practical work. It
means that you have to have direct contact with the job that you are
doing, make some serious decisions, and be involved.
“My boss never gets his hands dirty, he lets us do all the hard work.”
“You’re going to have to get your hands dirty and fire some employees.”
Vocabulary tip: One’s hands do not literally have to become dirty,
this idiom can be used in both a literal and figurative sense.
www.angolintezet.hu
A BUSMAN’S HOLIDAY
“A busman’s holiday” means a holiday where you must also do some
work. It might mean that although you want to relax, you actually have
a lot of things that you must do. Or it might mean that you have two
reasons for visiting a place; to enjoy it and also to do some work.
“Unfortunately, this trip is going to be a busman’s holiday.”
“My history teacher goes to Russia every year. But it is a busman’s holiday
because he has to take thirty students.”
www.angolintezet.hu
TO MAKE MONEY HAND OVER FIST
To make money hand over fist, is to make a lot of money and very
quickly. It means that you are doing well and being very successful
financially.
“My new business idea is making money hand over fist!”
“We were making money hand over fist, but now it has all gone wrong.”
Origin: This was originally a nautical term, referring to how a sailor
would climb a rope, placing one hand over his first etc.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO BE LAID OFF
To be laid off is to lose your job. Normally, we say that we are laid off
when the reason for losing the job is not our fault. You can be laid off
because the company is downsizing or because the company is not
making enough money.
“I think a lot of employees are going to be laid off.”
“Sarah was laid off when the company decided to downsize.”
REMEMBER: We use the expressions 'to be fired' or to be 'given the
sack', when someone has done something wrong. However, to be
laid off normally means that no one is to blame.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO RUN A TIGHT SHIP
To run a tight ship is to do things in an effective and efficient way.
When a boss or business leader does everything carefully, checking
that all employees are working correctly and by the rules, we say that
she runs a tight ship.
“My new boss runs a tight ship and she hates us making mistakes.”
“If you want to run a tight ship, you need to follow the regulations.”
www.angolintezet.hu
TO MAKE A KILLING
To make a killing is an expression that means to make a lot of money.
It sounds negative, but actually this is a positive expression.
"We’ve made a killing this quarter; let’s celebrate!”
“John thinks that this new idea is going to make a killing!”
REMEMBER: To make a killing is positive. There is no negative
connotation despite the word 'killing.' This expression simply means
to make a lot of money.
www.angolintezet.hu
THE PECKING ORDER
The pecking order is an expression used to describe hierarchy or chain
of command. In a business the CEO is at the head of the pecking order,
while the apprentice is at the bottom of the pecking order.
“I hate being at the bottom of the pecking order. I’m always chosen last”
“When you are at the top of the pecking order, life is good.”
www.angolintezet.hu
BACK TO SQUARE ONE
Back to square one is an expression that means you are back to your
original position. If you have £10 and invest your money to make £100,
then invest the £100, but lose £90, you are back to square one. If you
work very hard on a project, then lose all your work because of a
computer virus, you are back to square one. Ultimately, it means you
must start again.
“After the divorce, I was back to square one, with no money, no house and no
wife.”
“Look, we are back to square one, so let’s start again.”
www.angolintezet.hu
WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Work-life balance is the relationship between your work life and your
personal life. It is normally used when making sure you give equal
importance to these two aspects.
“I don’t have any work-life balance in my new job. I think I might quit.”
“I need to improve my work-life balance by spending less time in the office.”
REMEMBER: We use the expressions 'to be fired' or to be 'given the
sack', when someone has done something wrong. However, to be
laid off normally means that no one is to blame.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO SAVE UP
To save up, is when you keep some of your salary every month, so that
you can finally pay for something that you really want.
“At the moment, I am saving up for a new car.”
“Sarah is saving up for a deposit on her new house.”
Grammar tip: To save up, when followed by an object, is first
followed by FOR. We save up FOR something.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO BRING SOMEONE UP TO SPEED
To bring someone up to speed is to make sure that they know all the
relevant and new information. To bring someone up to speed is to
update them about all the new factors. If you have a new colleague at
work, you might need to bring them up to speed; this would mean
telling them how everything works in your office, explaining
procedures, and making sure they know what they are doing.
“We don’t have much time, so let me bring you up to speed about this new
project.”
“Sarah brought me up to speed about the new deal. It sounds fantastic.”
www.angolintezet.hu
TO PULL ONE’S SOCKS UP
To pull one’s socks up, is to work harder and work more efficiently. If
an employee has been working a little bit lazily, their employer might
tell them to pull their socks up.
“Pull your socks up, John. Get this work finished.”
“Sarah needs to pull her socks up and finish her degree this year.”
Grammar tip: This is often used as an imperative form, but this is very
direct.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO OPEN THE DOOR TO SOMETHING
To open the door to something, means to be open to the possibility of
something. It means that you are willing to consider something, or
keen for something to happen.
“I want to open the door to talks with our rivals.”
“I think we need to open the door to the chance of a merger.”
Vocabulary tip: This phrase is similar to saying “to consider.”
www.angolintezet.hu
THAT’S A WRAP
We use the expression that’s a wrap when we want to say that
something is finished, concluded or complete.
“That’s a wrap team. We’ve finished the entire project!”
“It’s nearly ten in the evening. Let’s call that a wrap for the day.”
Origin: The origin of this expression comes from the film industry.
When a director was happy with a scene, he would shout “that’s a
wrap.”
www.angolintezet.hu
TO DOWNSHIFT
To downshift, is to work a little bit less, relax a little bit more, and to
prioritise social, leisure and family time more than work. Like shifting
gears in a car, a downshift means that you (or the engine) is putting in
less effort.
“I think I need to downshift. If I keep working this hard, I am going to blowout.”
“Downshifting for a while can be beneficial to an employee’s health.”
www.angolintezet.hu
A JACK OF ALL TRADES
A Jack of all trades refers to someone who is good at lots of different
kinds of job, such as decorating, plumbing, brick-laying, without
specialising in one particular job.
„I can do some gardening for you, I'm a bit of a Jack of all trades.”
“Steven's a Jack of all trades, he will attempt anything.”
Grammar tip: this is an adjectival phrase, so it is always used with the
verb TO BE.
www.angolintezet.hu
OUT OF THE LOOP
If someone is said to be out of the loop, they have not been kept up
to date with the latest news on a particular topic.
“I've been on holiday for a fortnight, so I'm completely out of the loop.”
“You will be out of the loop if you fail to turn up for the meetings on the
subject.”
www.angolintezet.hu
REFRESH / UPDATE
To make new again/to make current.
Once I learned that there was now a more effective version of the software
program, I updated that part of the software suite.
The company director showed the new owners the new updated revenue figures
which had just come from the accounting department that morning.
Of course the numbers on the page look like they are too low; you opened that
page an hour ago. You have to refresh the page more often if you want the
latest data.
www.angolintezet.hu
CONTEMPORIZE / MODERNIZE
To make more current.
Our previous advertising campaign did not work, so now we will try to
modernize the company image with an exclusively online youth-oriented
approach.
Often directors use today's clothing and slang to contemporize a centuries-old
play in order to make it more relatable to modern audiences.
www.angolintezet.hu
GIVE SOMEONE A (HELPING) HAND
To help someone with something.
As the time ran out, Ann realized Bob could not finish the project by the
deadline, so she gave him a hand and they could both leave the office on time.
Although there is not official contract, it is generally recognized that the
journalist is the government's hired hand considering how many positive
articles he writes about it.
www.angolintezet.hu
WORK AGAINST THE CLOCK
To try to do something in a very limited amount of time.
With the weekend approaching quickly and several projects becoming more
complicated than originally estimated, she knew she was working against the
clock.
Facing irreversible environmental damage, we are all working against the clock
to raise awareness and make changes for the better.
Origin: Sometimes we are working against competitors, sometimes
against time limits.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO SKYROCKET
To skyrocket, means to increase sharply and dramatically. We often
use this phrase when talking about numbers, trends, or statistics. It is
a popular work for economists.
“If you want your product’s sales to skyrocket, you must think about your
marketing.”
“After the scandal, the opponent’s popularity skyrocketed.”
Grammar tip: To skyrocket is a verb phrase, so you must consider the
tense and subject before using it.
www.angolintezet.hu
HANDS-ON
Hands-on is an adjective that means involved in something. If a
manager is hands-on, he likes to be involved in the business he is
managing. Maybe this means that he helps at the front of the shop or
makes sure he speaks to the clients directly.
“I wish my boss was more hands on. Sometimes it’s like he’s not there at all.”
“I like to be hands-on because then I can understand all aspects of my
business.”
GRAMMAR: Hands-on is an adjective, so it must be used before a
noun or after the verb TO BE.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO WORK OUT A SOLUTION
To find the answer/solution to a problem.
Although the two sides were in a bitter dispute, both knew they had to work out
a solution which would satisfy the requirements of both sides.
We had some difficulties in parts of the manufacturing process, but we worked
out a solution which would not eat into our profits.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO GET OUT OF HAND
To become out of control.
They thought they had taken all the necessary precautions, but when an
unexpected factor entered, things quickly got out of hand.
Do not worry about a thing; I have done this a hundred times before. I've got
everything in hand so you can sit back and relax.
For this particularly difficult phase of the project, we have hired the top
professional in the field so we have it in a safe pair of hands.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO BREAK THE BACK OF SOMETHING
When we say that we have broken the back of something, we are
saying that we have completed the majority or hardest part of it, and
that everything will be easier now. We often use this in business
English when talking about difficult tasks, but it could also be used to
describe a hard trek.
“If we want to break the back of this, we all need to work together.”
“The boss says we’ve broken the back of it, but I think we have a lot more to
do.”
www.angolintezet.hu
TO DISMISS OUT OF HAND
To turn something down automatically.
The chef rejected the plan out of hand to make the restaurant more “family
friendly” at the cost of losing its elegance and reputation for fine dining.
The director rejected the classic story out of hand and chose to make a modern
action movie because profit for the studio was the real goal.
The press officer dismissed the rumors out of hand as not being even remotely
possible.
www.angolintezet.hu
PUT SOMETHING ON THE BACK BURNER
Place less priority on something.
After several weeks of making no progress in preparing for the renovations,
they put those plans on the back burner and focused on day-to-day
maintenance.
The new management was less interested in the previous director's pet projects
and either put them on the back burner or completely shut them down.
Until she finished university, she put her personal life on the back burner since
getting her degree was far more important to her than socializing.
Origin: The front burners of a stove are more accessible and suitable
for dishes requiring more attention – the back ones, less so.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO TEACH SOMEONE THE ROPES
To teach//learn the processes and details of a workplace.
Once I learned the ropes at the new office, I felt much more comfortable and
could increase my productivity.
The company director told the department head to show the new recruit the
ropes so there would be less lost productivity.
It looks complicated at first, but once you get to know the ropes, it becomes
very clear and easy.
Origin: The ropes make up an important part of ship sailing and must
be understood.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO BAIL OUT
To rescue or save from disaster.
Now that the banks started failing, they gave up their opposition to
government involvement and demanded to be bailed out of the disaster they
had created.
The parents of the irresponsible man bailed him out after every failed
endeavor.
Origin: To get the water out/off of a ship, it must be bailed out or else
it goes under.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO MAKE HEADWAY
To progress or make progress.
After several false starts, we organized all of the materials logically and we
could begin to make headway on the project.
Once common ground was found for both sides of the negotiations, they could
make some headway towards a mutually beneficial agreement.
Origin: The front of a ship is its head.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO SWEETEN THE POT
Make an offer even better/higher stakes.
When the studio heard that their competitors were also trying to sign a
contract with the new star, they sweetened the pot and offered an extra share
of international sales if she agreed to a mult-film contract.
The recruiter needed to sign the candidate and sweetened to pot with an offer
of a corner office and stock options on top of the already full compensation
package.
Origin: The ropes make up an important part of ship sailing and must
be understood.
www.angolintezet.hu
HEDGE ONE’S BETS
Plan for possible loss.
The manager hedged his bets on the company surviving the quarter, and
developed alternative business contacts.
The company could not tell which party would win the election, so they hedged
their bets and donated money to all of them.
Origin: Putting shrubbery between one and the outside provides some
protection.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE
To achieve two goals at one time or with one effort.
Since I was going to the shop to pick up a bottle of wine anyway, I decided to
kill two birds with one stone and take the recycling to the bins on my way out.
Housing development in formerly protected green zones kills (at least) two
birds with one stone by both reducing the natural areas which had cleaned the
air and water, and increases the amount of pollution in the air and water.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO WRITE ONE’S OWN TICKET
To be in a dominant negotiating position in order to determine
one's compensation.
With her natural talent, professional training and good luck, she could write her
own ticket in the job market.
The board of directors let the new recruit write his own ticket based on the
surprise success of his unusual strategy which caught everyone by surprise.
Being one's own boss does not always mean being able to call one's own shots.
Origin: Self-determination in how one is paid is a powerful ability, not
available to all.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO GO GREEN
Become more environmentally friendly.
When it was time to renovate the building, they decided it would make sense
in the long run to go green.
More and more companies are going green, not for any soft-headed hippy tree-
hugging good feelings, but because it makes economical sense.
Origin: Green is the color of plants and therefore all nature
www.angolintezet.hu
BLUE CHIP
Top grade, Top value, especially such a company.
The blue chip stocks are trading high on the stock market today, but it is all too
expensive for me to deal with.
The CEO turned the failing company around and made it one of the top blue
chip stocks on the market.
A team of blue chip experts was assembled to investigate the situation.
Origin: In the 1920s, the Dow Jones employee Oliver Gingold used the
top value poker chip to describe the top value stocks.
www.angolintezet.hu
GO / RUN LIKE CLOCKWORK
Operate very well.
The testing phase of the new product lasted months, but when it was due to
enter the market, the designers wanted it to run like clockwork.
After finding out how to make the actors remember their lines and deliver
them convincingly, the play went like clockwork.
Once we understand the mechanics of biology, we see that cells function like
clockwork.
Origin: Nothing operates quite as smoothly as a well made watch.
www.angolintezet.hu
BUSY WORK
Non-essential, non-productive work to occupy time.
The supplies for the project did not arrive on time, so the manager gave the
employees busy work to do in the meantime.
The manager gave busy work to the ambitious new hire to prevent her from
demonstrating how ineffective the current staff actually was.
Origin: Some work is not to make progress or improve anything in
particular but only to keep a population occupied in a way that does
not endanger the existing power structure
www.angolintezet.hu
MORE THAN ONE WAY TO SKIN A CAT
Many solutions to any problem.
The advertising campaign failed to raise turnover, so the sales director tipped
off reporters that their competition used questionable production methods,
resulting in less business for them, knowing there was more than one way to
skin a cat.
The merger had not gone well, so both of the original companies started the
process again with new flexible procedures, trying to find more ways to skin
that cat.
Origin: Most results have multiple ways to be reached.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO GIVE THE GREEN LIGHT
To allow to go forward / progress.
The studio greenlit the project and filming began the next week.
The board of directors gave the green light to the development project,
thinking it would be a good investment.
Origin: Traffic lights.
www.angolintezet.hu
FIRE IN THE BELLY
Deep drive to achieve something.
The staff was amazed how quickly the new recruit had climbed the corporate
ladder into top management, not at first realizing the fire in her belly she had
that drove her on.
If you are going to succeed in this business and set yourself apart from the
competition, you need fire in the belly and an unwillingness to take second-
best.
www.angolintezet.hu
KICK A DECISION BACK
Return a topic back for further consideration.
After weeks of development meetings had hatched no new ideas, the team
leader kicked the decision back to management, claiming they had expected
the impossible.
When the Supreme Court rules 4-4 on a case, it gets kicked back to the lower
court.
www.angolintezet.hu
SKIN IN THE GAME
A personal investment or attachment.
I did not have any skin in the game, so the people more closely involved in the
project did not accept my suggestions, calling them unrealistic and uniformed.
His critics said it was easy for an outsider with no skin in the game to casually
comment on a process, the results of which they would have to live with, unlike
him.
www.angolintezet.hu
START FROM SCRATCH
To begin from the absolute beginning, from zero.
When the hurricane destroyed their house and farm, they had to start their
lives over from scratch.
If you bake bread from scratch, you can make it exactly the way you like.
She had built up the company from scratch and could look back on a lifetime of
great achievement: challenges met, competitors bested, obstacles overcom.
Origin: The line scratched into the dirt to mark the starting line for a
race, giving no advantage to anyone.
www.angolintezet.hu
GO BELLY-UP
To go bankrupt.
The company was poorly managed, the economy down and competition stiff,
so it was no wonder they went belly-up so quickly.
The merger had not been well planned, so both of the original companies went
belly-up.
www.angolintezet.hu
KICK AROUND AN IDEA
Discuss a possibility.
After weeks of development meetings had hatched no new ideas, the team
leader started kicking around the idea that they should instead innovate on an
existing technology.
Dissatisfaction with his current job and its limited opportunities had him kicking
around the idea of starting up his own business.
www.angolintezet.hu
TO TALK SHOP
To talk about business or work matters at a social event (where
such talk is out of place, often pejorative), to talk about work
outside of work.
“All right, everyone, we’re not here to talk shop. Let’s have a good time.”
Mary and Jane stood by the punch bowl, talking shop.
I met Judy from the office last night to catch up on gossip, but we ended up just
talking shop.
www.angolintezet.hu
HIT THE GROUND RUNNING
To begin well-prepared and ready-to-go.
We have prepared everything in advance so we can hit the ground running in
the morning.
I first drink coffee at home so I can hit the ground running when I arrive at
work.
Advanced placement classes let students hit the ground running when they
start university.
Origin: After dropping or jumping, not to wait before continuing; like
a paratrooper or cross-country runner.
www.angolintezet.hu
GET TO THE POINT
To state something directly, to reach the most important part or
topic of a conversation or discussion.
He talked and talked but never came to the point.
Boss: I have some bad news everyone. Let me first say that you are all great
employees, and I love you all.
Employees: Thanks, boss!
Boss: Let me get to the point. You’re all fired.
Employees: Thanks, boss!
