 wrap up verb - finish

Example: Let's wrap up it up so that we can start on the next project.

 Punctual adjective - on time and must not be late
Example: Anyone that is not punctual will be asked to explain to the manager why they are not on time.
 minutes noun - a written record of everything said at a meeting
Example: Let's review the minutes from last month and see what as been resolved since then.
 grievance noun - complaint made by a worker or customer
Example: A grievance has been reported by one of the managers about one of is staff.
 collaborate verb - work together as a pair/group
Example: The workers had difficulty collaborating with the managers as a result the deadline was not met.
 allocate verb - assign roles/tasks to certain people
Example: The new manger will allocate someone to order the new company cars.
 Agenda noun - list of objectives to be covered at the meeting
Example: Pass a copy of the agenda to anyone who is attending meeting in advance please.
 unanimous adj. - everyone is in complete agreement or united in opinion
Example: The vote was unanimous to cut working hours from 46 to 39 hours.
 objectives noun - goals that need to be accomplish
Example: I'm pleased that we were able to cover all of the objectives today within the designated time.
 designate verb - assign to someone or a team
Example: If no one volunteers to work at weekend I will designate someone.
 Clause
 In business law, the noun clause refers to a statement or term in the contract.
 Sample sentence:
 Our legal team has raised some questions about a couple of clausesin the contract.
 5. Null and void
 The phrase null and void refers to a contract or clause that’s invalid, non-binding or which has no legal force.
 Sample sentence:
 Our lease will become null and void in 30 days if we don’t renew it now.
 Invoice
 The noun invoice refers to an itemized bill showing the list of goods sold or services provided, their prices and the total amount to be paid.
 Sample sentence:
 Don’t forget that we need to pay within 45 days of receiving the invoice.
 Counter offer
  A counter offer is an offer you make in response to an offer made by another party. If you’re unhappy with an offer someone has made to you, you may
make a counter offer.
 Sample sentence:
 John offered to sell me his used car for $15,000. It’s a nice car but that’s a little too expensive. So I’m going to make him a counter offer.
 After-sales service
 After-sales service refers to the service, such as maintenance and repairs, that you continue to provide after your customer buys your product or service.
 Sample sentence:
 Our company’s after-sales service is considered one of the best in the electronics market.



Ahead of the To be more successful than the If we want to stay ahead of the pack, we’ll have to
pack competition increase our marketing budget.
to be more successful than other people who At this stage in the campaign, the Democratic candidate is way ahead of the
are trying to achieve the same things as you pack.

Back to square Back to square one To make this software finally work, we have to go back to
Back to the very first stage of something; returned to an initial startin
one g point. square one.
COMMON If someone is back to square one or back at square on The treatment failed and I was back to square one. But now, after theirappeal, the investigation is
e, they have failed completely in what they weretrying to do, and now back at square one.
have to start again

Big picture Everything that is involved with a Working on all these details, we have lost sight of the big
noun particular situation picture.
the most important facts about a situation and the effectsof
that situation on other things:
n my political work I try to concentrate on the big picture and not
be distracted by details.

Ballpark A very inexact estimate To give you a ballpark figure, how much the border wall to
number/figure Mexico is going to cost, I’d say about 30 million dollars.
By the book To do things exactly according to the We told our auditors that we do everything by the book.
rules or the law My boss insists on doing everything by the book.
Corner the To dominate a particular market Amazon more or less corners the online retailing market.
market
Cut-throat Very intense, aggressive, and merciless Competition in the food retailing business is cut-throat.
competition
Easy come, Something gained easily is also lost I lost 500 Euros in a poker game last night, but that’s life –
easy go easily easy come, easy go.
Game plan A strategy or plan for achieving success What is our game plan for dealing with our new
competitor?
Get down to Stop making small talk and start talking Now that everyone’s here, let’s get down to business and
business about serious business topics start with the presentation.
Get something To start something (e.g. a project or a Now that we have finished the planning phase, we’re
off the ground business) eager the get the project off the ground.
to get something started. When we get this event off the ground we can relax. It is my job to get the celebration plans off the
ground.
Because of legal difficulties, the construction project never got off the ground.

Go down the Something is wasted or lost All our efforts in entering this new market went down the
To fail; to be ruined or destroyed; to be squandered or wastefully dis
Drain carded drain.
I can’t believe it’s broken already – well, there’s seventy bucks down the drain.
If the factory closes, that will be a million dollars' worth of investment down
Inevitable impossible to avoid the drain.
getting wet My father's company is now going downthe drain because of the incompetent new CEO. All of our
savings have gone down the drain ever since Jack had hislittle gambling spree in Las Vegas.
is inevitable if
you are going
to try to give
your dog a bath

Go the extra To do more than what people expect To give our customers the best shopping experience, we
to go beyond what is necessary or expected in order to please some
mile one, achieve something, or get something donecorrectly. go the extra mile.
Suzy always goes the extra mile to make my birthday special.
 She's always willing to go the extra mile to help a friend.
The President is determined 'to go the extra mile for peace'.

Hands are tied Not being free to behave in the way that I’d love to help you, but my hands are tied.
you would like Politicians are always saying that they want to help us but their hands are tied.
I'm sorry, I would love to approve your application,but my hands are tied by the regulations. The c
something is preventing you from acting in ompany stated that they have tried everything in their power to avoidpay cuts, but their hands are t
ied at this point.\
the way that you want to. I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do. My hands are tied.
One is being prevented from acting, helping, or intervening as one s
hould or desires to due to circumstances beyondone's control, such
as rules, conflicting orders, or higher priorities.

In a nutshell Using as few words as possible In a nutshell, we will run out of cash in three months time.
In full swing At a stage when the level of activity is at Construction of our new production site is in full swing
its highest now.
In the driver’s To be in charge or in control of a Being offered the position of managing director, I’ll soon
seat situation be in the driver’s seat.
Keep one’s To give something one’s full attention We should not diversify our product offering too much, but
eye on the ball and to not lose focus rather keep our eyes on the ball.
Learn the Learn the basics of something (e.g. a I’m learning the ropes in my new position.
ropes job)
Long shot Something that has a very low Winning the lottery is a long shot.
probability of happening
No-brainer Something that is really obvious or easy Making money working for an investment bank is a no-
brainer.
No strings Something is given without involving They will let you try the product for free with no strings
attached special demands or limits attached.
Doing something for someone without It is ok, I will do you a favor...no strings attached!
asking for anything in return.
free of conditions, restrictions, costs, or I will buy you a waffle iron, no strings attached.
 any other obstacles

Not going to fly Something isn’t expected to work out This product is definitely not going to fly.
On the same To be in agreement about something Let’s go over the contract details once more to make sure
page we’re on the same page.
Out in the Something that is public knowledge and Our financials our out in the open anyway.
open not secret anymore
Put all one’s To rely on only one thing to bring It’s not smart to invest in American tech stocks only and
eggs in one success put all one’s eggs in one basket.
basket
Put the cart To do or think about things in the wrong Trying to find an investor without having a business plan is
before the order like putting the cart before the horse.
horse
Raise the bar To set standards or expectations higher The iPhone raised the bar for smartphone makers.
Red tape Official rules and processes that seem The new law is going to create a lot of red tape.
excessive and unnecessary You would not believe the red tape involved in
official rules and processes that seem unnece getting the required permits.
ssary and delay results An example of red tape is when you have to fill out tons of
documents, rules, or processes that cause delays annoying forms just to get a driver's license.

Rock the boat To do or say something that will upset Don’t rock the boat until the negotiations are finished.
people or cause problems
Safe bet Something that is certain to happen It’s a safe bet that computer processor speed will more
than triple within the next 10 years.
Same boat To be in the same difficult situation as None of us has any money left, so we’re all in the same
someone else boat.
See eye to eye To agree with somebody My boss doesn’t see eye to eye with me about our
 marketing campaign.
See something To continue until something is finished I want to see this project through before taking on another
through one.
Sever ties To end a relationship We had to sever ties with several suppliers due to poor
product quality.
Shoot To reject something (e.g. an idea or a You shouldn’t shoot down your co-workers ideas during a
something proposal) brainstorming session.
down
Smooth sailing A situation where success is achieved Once our largest competitor went out of business, it was
without difficulties smooth sailing.
Stand one’s To not change one’s opinion or position They tried to cut my travel budget, but I stood my ground.
ground
Take the bull To directly confront a difficult situation in My mid-level managers constantly delayed projects, so I
by the horns a brave and determined way took the bull by the horns and fired several of them.
Talk someone To convince someone to do something I was reluctant to redesign our website, but my employees
into something talked me into it.
Talk someone To convince someone not to do We wanted to take on more debt, but our CFO talked us
out of something out of it.
something
The elephant An obvious problem or controversial We should have discussed our pending litigation, but no
in the room issue that no one wants to discuss. one wanted to talk about the elephant in the room.
Think outside To think of creative, unconventional Our current approach will get us nowhere. We have to
the box solutions instead of common ones. think outside the box.
Time’s up Time for something or someone has I think his time’s up as the CEO.
ended.
Touch base To make contact with someone. I will touch base with you later today.
Twist To convince someone to do something My boss thought the budget was a little high, so I had to
someone’s that he or she does not want to do. twist his arm to get him to agree to it.
arm
Up in the air Something is undecided or uncertain Our international expansion plan is still up in the air.
Uphill battle Something that is difficult to achieve Gaining market share in this country will be an uphill battle
because of obstacles and difficulties due to tough competition.
Upper hand To have more power than anyone else Due to my experience, I had the upper had in the
and so have control argument.
Word of mouth Something is given or done by people Many local stores rely on word of mouth to get new
talking about something or telling people customers.
about something

24/7 "24/7" means 24 hours The convenience store on the

a day, seven days a corner is open 24/7.

week.
a tough When something It was a tough break for us when

break unfortunate happens, it Caroline quit. She was one of our

can be called a "tough top performers.

break."

ahead of the To be "ahead of the We're investing a lot of money in

curve curve" means to be research and development so we

more advanced than can stay ahead of the curve.

the competition.

ahead of the To be "ahead of the If we want to stay ahead of the

pack pack" means to be pack, we're going to have to work

better or more hard and continue to innovate.

successful than the

competition.
ASAP "ASAP" is an acronym I need to finish these reports. My

for "as soon as boss needs them ASAP.

possible."

at stake "At stake" means at I'm a little nervous about giving this

risk. presentation. There's a lot at

stake.

back to To go "back to square Our programmers identified what

square one one" means to start they thought the problem was with

something over again. the software. After working for

several hours, it turns out that the

problem is something different.

We're back to square one,

unfortunately.

back to the To go "back to the The prototype wasn't successful.

drawing drawing board" means We have to go back to the drawing

board to start something over board.

 and go back to the

planning stage.

backroom A "backroom deal" is

deal an agreement or I think they got the government

decision that is made contract because of a backroom

without the public deal.

knowing about it.

ballpark A "ballpark number" is I'm not sure what a Super Bowl

number/figur a very inexact commercial costs, but to give you

e estimate. a ballpark figure I'd say about

three million dollars.

behind To do something She didn't think it would be fair to

someone's "behind someone's go behind his back and talk to

back back" means to do management, so she confronted

something without him directly.

someone's knowledge
 and in an unfair way.

behind the What happens in They make it look so effortless, but

scenes secret or not in front of they do a lot of hard work and

the general public is planning behind the scenes.

said to happen "behind

the scenes."

big picture Everything that is Even though we all have very

involved with a specific tasks to do, our manager

particular situation is makes sure we don't lose sight of

called "the big picture." the big picture.

blue collar A "blue collar worker" It's a blue collar town with a lot of

is someone who works farmers and factory workers.

with his hands

(manufacturing,

construction,
 maintenance, etc.).

The opposite is a

"white collar worker." A

white collar worker is

someone who works in

an office (customer

service, management,

sales, etc.). "Blue

collar" (and "white

collar") can also be

used to describe a job,

position, or a place.

by the book To do things "by the We are regularly audited by

book" means to do several regulatory agencies. It's

things according to important that we do everything by

company policy or the the book.

 law. It means to follow

the rules 100%.

call it a day To "call it a day" Well, John, it's 7:00 and I'm getting

means to decide to hungry. How about we call it a

stop working for the day?

day.

catch To "catch someone off Mike was caught off guard when

someone off guard" means to they asked him to direct the

guard surprise someone by meeting.

doing something that

he or she was not

expecting.

cave (or To "cave" or "cave in" The employees complained about

cave in) means to give in or the change in policy, but the

agree to something supervisor refused to cave in.

that someone
 previously did not want

to accept.

change of "A change of pace" is It's nice to go on business trips

pace something different because it's a change of pace.

from a normal routine

or schedule.

come up To "come up short" The charity fund raiser was

short means to try to supposed to raise three million

achieve something but dollars, but we came up short.

fail. We often say that

someone has "come

up short" when

someone fails to

achieve a goal, but not

completely.

corner a To "corner a market" Apple has cornered the market on

market means to dominate a mp3 players. They have a large

particular market. percentage of market share.

cut corners To "cut corners" We don't cut corners on our luxury

means to take products.

shortcuts and find an

easier or cheaper way

to do something.

cut one's To "cut one's losses" Our advertising campaign was

losses means to stop doing expensive and not showing results,

something that is so we cut our losses.

unproductive and won't

ever generate results.

cut-throat "Cut-throat" is used to In business school, the competition

describe something was cut-throat.

that is very intense,

aggressive, and
 merciless.

diamond in A "diamond in the He was a diamond in the rough.

the rough rough" is something or He was intelligent and had great

someone that has a lot ideas, but his management and

of potential but first English skills weren't very good.

requires a lot of work.

easy come, "Easy come, easy go," A lot of people who inherit money

easy go is an expression used waste it on stupid things. I guess

to communicate that it's easy come, easy go.

something gained

easily is also lost

easily. We often use

this expression after

something has been

lost.

fifty-fifty "Fifty-fifty" means My business partner and I split

 something is divided everything fifty-fifty.

equally -- 50% for one

party, 50% for the

other party.

from the If you start a business, Bill Gates built Microsoft from the

ground up project, or something ground up.

else from zero, you

start it "from the

ground up."

game plan A "game plan" is a They're not sure what their game

strategy or plan. plan is for the upcoming election.

get back To "get back in/into the Our company shuts down

in/into the swing of things" means operations for three weeks during

swing of to get used to doing the holiday season. When I go

things something again after back to work in January, it's

having a break from difficult to get back in the swing of

 that activity. things.

get down to To "get down to Now that everyone's here, let's get

business business" means to down to business and talk about

stop making small talk the proposal.

and start talking about

serious topics related

to business.

get To "get something off We're glad the planning process is

something the ground" means to over. We're looking forward to

off the start a project or getting the project off the ground.

ground business.

get the ball To "get the ball rolling" We need to get the ball rolling on

rolling means to start this project. The deadline is in

something (a project, June, and it's already April.

for example).
get/be on the If someone likes you, I always remember my coworkers'

good side of you are "on the good birthdays and get them a card or

someone side" of that person. small gift. I like to get on people's

good side.

get/have To "get or have one's My son just took a low-paying

one's foot in foot in the door" internship position with a large

the door means to take a low- company. He was happy to get his

level position with a foot in the door at a well-known,

company with the goal respected company.

of eventually getting a

better position with the

same company.

give To "give someone a The boss gave Brian a pat on the

someone a pat on the back" back for coming up with such a

pat on the means to tell someone good idea.

back that they did a good

 job.

give the To "give something or I can't believe she gave us the

thumbs down someone the thumbs thumbs down. I thought it was a

down" means to deny great idea.

approval.

give the To "give something or They gave our new proposal the

thumbs up someone the thumbs thumbs up. We're going out to

up" means to give celebrate tonight.

approval.

go broke To "go broke" means There was too much competition

to go bankrupt or to and their expenses were too high.

lose all the money a They eventually went broke.

person or business I'm going to go broke if I have to pay any more

medical bills this month! I'm surprised his business

had. To no longer have any went broke—I really thought it was poised for
money.
success.

This company is going to go broke if you don't stop

 spending money foolishly. I made some bad

investments last year, and it looks as if I may go

broke this year.

go down the When someone He dropped out of college in his

drain wastes or loses third year and never continued his

something, it is said to studies. All of his hard work and

"go down the drain." money went down the drain.

go the extra To "go the extra mile" We go the extra mile for our

mile means to do more customers. If someone is

than what people dissatisfied with a purchase, we

expect. refund their money and offer them

a discount on their next purchase.

go through If something is "going We're happy our number of

the roof through the roof," it Facebook followers has gone

means it is rapidly through the roof.

increasing.
gray area If something is in a I asked our lawyers if it was legal,

"gray area," it means and they said it wasn't clear. It's a

that it is something gray area.

undefined and not

easily categorized.

ground- If something is The iPhone was a ground-

breaking "ground-breaking," it breaking piece of technology when

means it is new and it was released in 2008.

innovative.

hands are Someone's "hands are I would love to get you a job at my

tied tied" if they do not company, but my hands are tied.

have control over a Management isn't hiring any

situation. additional employees this year.

have If you have a lot of She has to sell $35,000 worth of

someone's work to do or a products by the end of the month.

work cut out particularly difficult

 assignment, you "have She has her work cut out for her.

your work cut out for

you."

hit the nail on To "hit the nail on the I agree with John 100%. I think he

the head head" means to do or really hit the nail on the head.

say something 100%

correctly.

in a nutshell "In a nutshell" means In a nutshell, this book is about

in a few words. how to motivate employees.

in full swing If a project is "in full Construction on the new site is in

swing," it means that it full swing now.

has been completely

started and that it is

progressing or moving

as fast as it ever will.

in the black If a company is "in the We're not having a great year, but

black," it means that it at least we're in the black.

is making a profit.

in the driver's To be "in the driver's I'm not used to being in the driver's

seat seat" means to be in seat. I should probably buy some

control. management books.

in the red If a company is "in the When I started my own business,

red," it means that is we were in the red for the first two

not profitable and is years. We didn't see a profit until

operating at a loss. the third year.

keep one's To "keep one's eye on I know we can do it. We just need

eye on the the ball" means to give to keep our eyes on the ball and

ball something one's full not lose focus.

attention and to not

lose focus.
last straw The "last straw" means Our boss had been unhappy with

the last annoyance, Brian's performance for a while,

disturbance, or but it was the last straw when he

betrayal which causes came to work three hours late

someone to give up, without calling.

lose their patience, or

become angry.

learn the To "learn the ropes" I like my new position. I'm starting

ropes means to learn the to learn the ropes.

basics of something.

long shot A "long shot" is Winning the lottery is a long shot,

something that has a but millions of people still buy

very low probability of lottery tickets.

happening.

loophole A legal "loophole" Some people complain that

occurs if a law is millionaires avoid paying taxes by

 unclear or omits finding loopholes in tax laws.

information. This lack

of legal clarity allows

people or corporations

to pay less in taxes or

gain some other

advantage.

lose ground To "lose ground" Apple lost some ground to

(opposite: means to lose some Samsung last quarter.

gain ground) type of an advantage

(market share, for

example) to a

competitor.

lose-lose A "lose-lose situation" It's a lose-lose situation. If they lay

situation (or is when there will be a off more workers, they'll get bad

no-win negative outcome press. If they don't lay off more

situation) regardless of what workers, they won't be able to

decision is made. compete.

nine-to-five A "nine-to-five" is a job She was tired of working a nine-to-

during normal working five job, so she took her savings

hours. The term came and opened a restaurant.

into existence because

many work days start

at 9 a.m. and end at 5

p.m.

no brainer If a decision is really Taking the new job was a no

obvious or really easy brainer. They offered me more

to make, the decision money, a better schedule, and

is a "no brainer." more vacation days.

no strings If something is given They will let you try the product for

attached without expecting free with no strings attached. If you

anything in return, it is don't like it, there is no pressure to

 given with "no strings buy it.

attached."

no time to If there is "no time to I told them I'd be finished by the

lose lose," it means that end of the day and it's already

there is a lot of 4:45. I need to get to work. There's

pressure to finish no time to lose.

something quickly.

not going to If a solution isn't I don't think that's going to fly. Let's

fly effective, we can say keep generating ideas.

that it "isn't going to

fly."

off the top of If someone says I have no idea how many branches

one's head something "off the top they have. Off the top of my head,

of their head," it means I'd say about 20.

that they give a

response without
 thinking about it much

or doing any research

on the subject.

on a roll If someone is "on a Our profits have been above our

roll," it means that he projected numbers for five months

or she has had several in a row. We're really on a roll.

successes in a row.

on the ball To be "on the ball" My new personal assistant is

means to be alert and working out well. He's really on the

aware of things. ball.

on the same If two people are "on Let's go over the details of what

page page the same page," they we agreed on to make sure we're

are in agreement on the same page.

about something.

on top of To be "on top of I read a lot to stay on top of the

something something" means to latest changes in my industry.

be in control of a

situation and aware of

changes.

on your toes To be "on your toes" Stay on your toes. Anything can

means to be alert. happen.

out in the If something is "out in I think it's good to do things out in

open the open," it is public the open because people get

knowledge and not suspicious if you do things in

hidden from people. secret.

out of the To be "out of the loop" I felt like I was out of the loop after

loop means to not know being on vacation for two weeks.

(opposite: in something that a

the loop) select group of people

knows. The opposite,

to be "in the loop,"

 means to be part of a

select group with

knowledge that others

do not have.

pink slip Someone who gets the They gave him the pink slip. He

"pink slip," has been wasn't performing very well.

fired by their employer.

play hardball To "play hardball" He played hardball to get where he

means to be is, so I would be careful what you

competitive in a cruel say and do around him.

and merciless way.

Playing hardball

means doing anything

possible to win.

put all one's To "put all one's eggs It's not good to only invest in the

eggs in one in one basket," means stock market. You don't want to
basket to rely on only one put all your eggs in one basket.

thing to bring success.

put the cart To "put the cart before They were trying to find investors

before the the horse" means to without even having a business

horse do or think about plan. They were putting the cart

things in the wrong before the horse.

order.

raise the bar To "raise the bar" The new software is getting great

means to set the reviews. It looks like the bar has

standards or been raised for the competition.

expectations higher,

usually by achieving or

creating something

better than what had

previously existed.

read To "read between the He didn't say that he wants to

between the lines" means to leave the company, but I can read

lines understand something between the lines. He's not happy

that isn't here.

communicated directly.

Reading between the

lines involves

understanding what

someone is implying or

suggesting but not

saying directly.

red tape "Red tape" refers to The new law is going to create a

excessive rules, lot of red tape, and we're going to

procedures, and have to pay our lawyers a lot more

regulations that make money.

it difficult to

accomplish something.
 We usually use "red

tape" to talk about

government

requirements that

create difficult, time-

consuming barriers for

people and

businesses.

rock the boat To "rock the boat" I'd ask for a raise, but I don't want

means to cause to rock the boat.

problems or disrupt a

peaceful situation.

round-the- "Round the clock" We have round-the-clock

clock means 24 hours a day. production at all our manufacturing

facilities.

run/go To "run (or go) around Everyone kept restating their

around in in circles" means to do opinions but nothing was agreed

circles the same thing over on. We were running around in

and over again without circles.

getting any results.

safe bet A "safe bet" means It's a safe bet that smartphones

something that will will be much more advanced in 10

probably happen. years.

same boat If people are in the We're all worried about losing our

same situation, they jobs. We're in the same boat.

are in the "same boat."

second When someone does She's been a computer

nature something so well that programmer for ten years. At this

it seems like they were point, programming is second

born knowing how to nature to her.

do it, we say that the

activity is "second
 nature" to that person.

see eye to To "see eye to eye" We don't always see eye to eye,

eye with someone means but I respect her opinions and

to agree with that appreciate her honesty.

person.

see To "see something I told my boss that I really wanted

something through" means to do to see this project through before

through something until it is taking on another project.

finished.

sever ties To "sever ties" means We had to sever ties with several

to end a relationship. of our suppliers due to late

shipments.

shoot To "shoot something It's best not to shoot down people's

something down" means to reject ideas during a brainstorming

down something, such as a session. The goal is to generate

 proposal or idea. ideas, not to criticize them.

sky's the limit "The sky's the limit" if With their commission structure,

there is no limit to what the sky's the limit to what you can

can be achieved. earn.

small talk "Small talk" is We typically spend about 15

conversation about minutes making small talk before

unimportant topics that we start our meetings.

do not offend people

(the weather, for

example).

smooth/clear "Smooth sailing" is a Once our largest competitor went

sailing term used to describe out of business, it was smooth

a situation where sailing.

success is achieved

without difficulties.
snail mail "Snail mail" is the term If you want to fill out form 52-E and

used for the traditional send it to the government, you

mail that goes through have to do it using snail mail. They

the post office. don't allow you to scan the

document.

stand one's To "stand one's stand one's ground

ground ground" means to not

change one's opinion

or position.

start off on To "start off on the We offered them a very generous

the right foot right foot" means to price on their first order and

start something in a everything shipped on time. We

positive way. really started off on the right foot.

start off on To "start off on the I just switched cable companies.

the wrong wrong foot" means to They overcharged me for the first

foot start something in a month's service. They really

 negative way. started off on the wrong foot.

state of the Something that is We have a brand new, state-of-

art "state of the art" is the-art facility.

modern and

technologically

advanced.

take To "take something The proposed law would kill our

something lying down" means to industry, but we're not going to

lying down accept something take it lying down. We're going to

unpleasant without fight back and make sure the law

fighting back. isn't passed.

take the bull To "take the bull by the One of our mid-level managers

by the horns horns" means to wasn't very popular and was

directly confront a causing some problems, so we

difficult situation. took the bull by the horns and

 replaced him with somebody else.

talk someone To "talk someone into I was hesitant to redesign our

into something" means to website, but my employees talked

something convince someone to me into it. I'm glad they did. The

do something. new site looks great.

talk someone To "talk someone out I wanted to make a real estate

out of of something" means investment, but my financial

something to convince someone adviser talked me out of it.

not to do something.

the elephant "The elephant in the We should have been talking

in the room room" refers to an about our huge debt, but no one

obvious problem or wanted to talk about the elephant

controversial issue that in the room.

no one wants to talk

about.
think big To "think big" means I'm not content with just opening

to have ambitious one or two more stores. I'm

goals and big plans for thinking big -- I think we can open

the future. 10 stores in the next five years.

think outside To "think outside the Creating a product that no one has

the box box" means to think of sold before is an example of

creative, thinking outside the box.

unconventional

solutions instead of

common ones.

throw in the To "throw in the towel" I was trying to learn Portuguese,

towel means to quit. but I got frustrated and threw in the

towel.

time's up "Time's up" means that I think his time's up as the CEO.

the time for something They're going to replace him as

or someone has soon as they find a suitable

 ended. candidate.

touch base To "touch base" Let me make a few phone calls to

means to make try to get an answer to your

contact with someone. question. I'll touch base with you

later today.

twist To "twist someone's The owner thought the budget was

someone's arm" means to a little high. We had to twist his

arm persuade or convince arm to get him to agree to it.

someone to do

something that he or

she does not want to

do.

under the Something done To avoid paying taxes, they paid

table secretly (and usually some of their employees under the

illegally) in the table.

business world is done

 "under the table." They offered him money under the table

to change his mind.

If something is done

under the table, it is

a secret, hiddenaction

up in the air If something is We're looking for a test market

undecided, it is "up in right now, but nothing has been

the air." decided yet. Everything's still up in

the air.

uphill battle Something that is Winning the election is going to be

difficult to achieve an uphill battle. He doesn't have

because of obstacles much support at the moment.

and difficulties is an

"uphill battle."

upper hand If someone has an John is more experienced and well

advantage over respected, so he had the upper

someone else, he or
 she has the "upper hand in the argument.

hand."

white collar A "white collar worker" There are mostly manufacturing

is someone who works positions here. There aren't many

in an office (customer white-collar jobs.

service, management,

sales, etc.). The

opposite of a white

collar worker is a "blue

collar worker." A blue

collar worker is

someone who works

with his hands

(manufacturing,

construction,

maintenance, etc.).
 "White collar" (and

"blue collar") can also

be used to describe a

job, position, or place.

win-win A "win-win situation" is We were happy to get the contract,

situation a situation where and they were happy to get such a

everyone involved good price. It was a win-win

gains something. situation.

A win- Flexible working hours are a win-

win situation or result i win situation for employers and employee

s.
s one that is good for

everyone who

is involved

word of If something spreads Many local restaurants rely on

mouth by "word of mouth," word of mouth to get new

people hear about it customers.

 through informal

conversation with

friends, family

members,

acquaintances, etc.

writing on the The "writing on the I'm going to get my resume ready.

wall wall" refers to the I can see the writing on the wall.

evidence and clues

that something

(usually negative) is

going to happen.

yes man A "yes man" is The company isn't looking to hire

someone who always someone who is going to try to

agrees with his or her make a lot of changes. They're just

superiors. looking for a yes man.

1. A long shot
This phrase comes from sports, like basketball for example when a player is trying to shoot from a long distance. It means something
that is unlikely to happen. With very little chance of success.
Example: Getting a senior position in the corporation one day is a long shot, but if you don’t try you’ll never find out if it’s possible.

2. Back to the drawing board

This expression means to start something again from the beginning because it’s not working as you would have liked or expected.
Example: This project is not going as planned, let’s get back to the drawing board and fix what’s going wrong.

3. To corner the market

To control enough quantity of a product or service that enables one to then change the market price willingly. It can also mean to be
the only one making or providing a given product or service.
Example: Intel has pretty much cornered the market of microprocessors for servers. Their direct competition, AMD, is a distant
second.

4. Hands are tied

When you are unable to carry out any meaningful action because of regulations, rules or other people with authority.
Example: I wish I could help you cut through all this red tape (another business idiom meaning administrative procedures) but my
hands are tied. My boss won’t let me.

5. Up in the air
When things are highly uncertain, when a decision has not been made yet.
Example: We were hoping to sign the contract by the end of the month, but there are still too many things up in the air we need to
deal with first.

6. To learn the ropes

To learn the basics of a profession, a specific task or activity.
Example: It took her a while to learn the ropes, but now she is confident and we feel that we can count on her to manage her client
portfolio effectively.
7. A learning curve
The process of learning, usually from trial and error. We often say that there can be a steep learning curve, which means that one has
to learn things quickly in order to meet the requirements of a specific job.
Example: There was a steep learning curve when I started out trading stock options, but I now feel like I’m finally getting the hang of
it (another idiom which means to master something).

8. To go down swinging
An expression that comes from boxing. To swing, means to throw an arcing punch. The expression refers to someone who fights to
very end, who never gives up until it’s completely over and there is no possibility of victory.
Example: The future of our company is uncertain due to our massive debt, but I can guarantee that we will go down swinging
whatever happens, we will not give up easily.

9. By the book
To do things strictly by the rules.
Example: I don’t want to take any chances getting caught by the financial regulators and having to pay significant fines. We have to
do everything by the book.

10. To cut corners

Almost the opposite of by the book. This means to do things in the quickest and cheapest way in order to save time and money but
often compromising quality and bending the rules (another expression which means not strictly following all the rules).
Example: The company’s decision to cut corners ended up costing them dearly when they got caught red-handed and had to pay a
huge fine for committing fraud.

11. Between a rock and a hard place

When there’s no easy way out or good solution. Whatever you do, whichever option you choose, the outcome will not be ideal.
Example: Management finds itself between a rock and a hard place after the corruption scandal that has erupted. Either they file for
bankruptcy and hope that law enforcement forgets about them, or they stay in business and run the risk of going to jail.

12. From the ground up

To build or start something from nothing, from zero.
Example: Building a company from the ground up can bring you great pride if you are successful.

13. The bottom line

Usually referring to the final profit margin of a business when all expenses have been paid.
Example: At the end of the day, what shareholders really care about is the bottom line which will determine the dividends they take
home every year.

14. To get down to business

To start getting serious about something.
Example: We’ve wasted enough time debating on the official launch date. Let’s get down to business now, we have work to do.

15. To get someone up to speed

To update someone on the current situation or to give them all the necessary information to allow them to complete their task or fulfill
their mission.
Example: Why don’t you come to the office and I’ll take the time to get you up to speed before we go to the meeting.

16. It’s not rocket science

Something not very complicated.
Example: I don’t understand why there are so many mistakes in this report. It’s really not rocket science!

17. To think outside the box

To think unconventionally, creatively and explore new non-conformist ideas.
Example: If you want to succeed in this highly competitive economic environment, you have to think outside of the box to gain an
edge on your rivals.

These are just a few examples of the countless colorful expressions you can use to enrich your speech and start mastering the
English language like a native. Why not test your level here? If you’re serious about progressing, then you should definitely explore
the numerous possibilities out there that’ll help you reach a level of proficiency necessary to excel in the modern business world.
For businessmen and women on the move needing effective one to one lessons with trained professionals specialised in business
English, Skype English classes with qualified native teachers are quickly becoming a sought-after option thanks to their flexibility,
personalisation and affordability when compared to conventional group lessons in physical academies.

Amicable refers to a friendliness or goodwill between people or groups. Amiable refers to one person’s friendly disposition.

A group might have an amicable meeting, because the people there are amiable.

Peddler

one who offers merchandise (such as fresh produce) for sale along the street or from door to door.

someone who goes about trying to sell things

isolate
(verb) set apart or cut off from others, separate
The hospital isolated the patients with bird flu to help prevent an outbreak.
aspire
(verb) to hope or dream; especially to hope or work towards a profession or occupation
Pinocchio aspired to become a real boy.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

1. It doesn't matter whether you enjoy your job or not as long as it's a well-paid job.

2. Self-employment is more stimulating than working for a large organisation.

3. Social networks have rapidly become communication tools for many companies.
They will be further developed for business in the future.

4. Innovation is different from invention.

5. In the future most companies will be online companies.
There will be fewer offices and more call centres.

6. Small companies can adapt more quickly to changes in the market place than large corporations.

7. More time is wasted during meetings than during any other business activity.

8. It is impossible to have a successful career and a happy family life.

You have to choose one or the other.

9. It is impossible for young people to find a (good) job today without help from someone.

10. A successful salesperson knows the strengths and weaknesses of competing products.

11. Small companies cannot offer employees opportunities for promotion.

12. There is more creativity in multinational companies than in small firms.

13. Some companies do not adhere to proper rules of conduct.

14. It is dishonest for companies to avoid paying income tax in the countries where they are established.

15. Men and women are not always treated equally in the workplace.
Women often face discrimination.

1. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

2. Swimming in the ocean is better than swimming in a public pool.
3. Alcohol should be illegal.
4. Children should provide room and board for their aging parents.
5. Studying grammar is more important than practising conversation skills.
6. Television is the leading cause of violence in today's society.
7. Dogs make better companions than cats.
8. Smoking should be permitted in public places.
9. Females are better students than males.
10. A parent shouldn't pierce a baby's ears.
11. Women should be allowed to go topless in public.
12. Lawyers should make a higher salary than nurses.
13. Everyone should plan their own funeral.
14. Reading English is more difficult than writing English.
15. Summer is the best season of the year.
16. Children under 13 should not be allowed to babysit.
17. High school students should wear uniforms.
18. 21 should be the legal driving age around the world.
19. Rock and Roll is the best kind of music.
20. The government should pay for post secondary education.