Business Idioms
(2010-04-15 07:37:13)
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Business Idioms
The English Language uses differents ways to give a message, a lot of time sentences are doing with the informal relationships between the people and not hard grammatical studies. This kinds of sentences are calling Idioms. In this case we are going to talk about the idioms in differents situations:
Global and Company Finance.
Personal Finance.
Negotiation.
Working or personal relationships.
Politics.
GLOBAL AND COMPANY FINANCE:
Bail (someone or something) out: It\'s a popular expresion means to give money in order to assist or rescue a company or industry that has serious problems.
For example: General Motors had a dropped dramatically sales problem, these executives want the U.S. Government to bail out his finance problems.
Bottom fall out: This phrase means that a collapse occurs and, as result, price fall. It\'s used mainly in stock market.
For example: With the Economical Crisis many investors are worried that the bottom will fall out of the stock market and that they\'ll lose their savings.
Close up shop: This expression means that someone stops doing business. Normaly in a temporality time.
For example: 1. In Winter the shooping of Summer clothes has to close up shop. 2. The textil company close up shop on January due to collectives vacations.
Go belly up: This phrase means that, due to financial problems, someone\'s company goes out of business.
For example: The electronic chain expanded too quickly, and consequently, spending exceeded revenues. Within a few months, the corporation had gone belly up.
Golden handshake: It\'s a generous sum of money given to a person when they leave a company or retire (sometimes given to encourage early retirement).
For example: General Motor had to pay a huge golden handshake by all the people fired during the economic crisis.
Saddle with debt: This phrase means a person or entity, like a company, that has too much debt (amounts owed on credit cards, mortagages, loans, etc). You can uso in personal finance too.
For example: American consumers who financed larger homes than they needed and who also ran up huge bills on their credit cards now find themselves saddled with debt.
POLITICS:
Dark House: Is a person - especially a candidate for a political office or position in companies who previously wasn\'t well-know or recognized but, somehow, became so.
For example: No one can believe that the Senator, because a lot of people are been talking about his illegal activities. He was really a dark house.
PERSONAL FINANCE
Doesn\'t grow on trees: If something valuable - like money, a high - paying job, or a good client - is in short supply or rare, you might say that this object doesn\'t grow on trees. When you say this word is because you think that this thing is important and you have to take care of that.
For example: Please don\'t use a lot of the save money to the Christmas shopping because doesn\'t grow on trees.
Hang on: This expression means to keep going, persevere, or even survive. Mainly in a difficult situation.
For example: You should control your spending. That way, even if you lose your job, you\'ll be able to hang on.
In a fix: This expression means someone\'s in trouble. You can use this sentence in company finance too.
For example: Jane kept spending more than she earned. As a result, financially, she\'s now in a fix.
Makes ends meet: This expression means have just enough to pay your bills. You can use this in corporate finance too.
For example: We can\'t go to the beach on vacations, because the school fee make ends meet.
On the line: This phrase means you\'re at risk of losing something. You can use to Corporate Finance too.
For example: He had been doing a lot of problems with his box, he is on the line of lost this.
NEGOTIATION
Drive a hard bargain: This term is used when you have to work hard to negotiate prices or agreements in one\'s own favor. Other definition is: to demand a lot of refuse to give much when making an agreement with someone.
For example: I\'m impressed that you got 80 millons for that house. You certainly drive a hard bargain.
Have an ace up your sleeve: This term is used when you have an advantage than other people do not know about. Have a strong negotiating chip in reserve.
For example: What hey don\'t know is that we have an ace up our sleeve in terms of order fulfilment.
Hold all the aces: This term refer during a negotiation process when you are in a favorable position or a controlling position.
For example: It\'s going to be difficult to negotiate on price with them. They are the only seller in the market, they have all the aces.
Play for time: This term is used when you try to gain advantage using delaying tactics.
For example: They are playing for time, waiting government\'s announcement about the new laws.
Play your cards right: This term is used when you use your strong points carefully and correctly.
For example: If we play our cards right we could get some good concessions.
Sign on the dotted line: Indicate one\'s agreement or assent by placing one\'s signature on a special line provided for that propose. Or simply indicate one\'s agreement to something.
For example: Well, we finally signed the house contract on the dotted line.
Sticking point / a bone of contention: It\'s refer a point that is difficult to agree.
For example: Unfortunately, salary increases are a sticking point to the government.
Strike a bargain / strike a deal: It\'s used when to reach an agreement on a price or negotiation (for something)
For example: They argued for a while and finally struck a bargain. They were unable to strike a bargain, so they ended the meeting.
To get bogged down in detail: When a negotiation become sidetracked by small details.
For example: We aren\'t getting anywhere at the moment. I suggest we move on to bigger picture so we don\'t get bogged down in detail.
WORKING OR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
Above the call of duty: This phrase is used when a person show a greater degree of courage or effort than is usually required or expected in their job. It\'s used commonly in army, but you can use that when a person make a great job for example in a project.
For example: The project manager received a big bonus for release the software before of the sheduled time, he above the call of duty.
Back-room boys: This term refers to people who do important work but have no contact with the public.
For example: The tecnology team are the back-room boys.
Black and white: This idioms is used when you have to take a decision between two extremes sides of an idea or issue - Right and wrong, or good and bad - with nothing in between.
For example: The president of Colombia has to take a black and white decision, he has to decide between have an alliance with U.S. or with Venezuela Government.
Blow it: This term is used when someone make a big mistake and the company lost a lot of money or lost a important customer or a big business oportunity.
For example: The only cash machine of this town was out of service during 1 mounth and the company blow it market.
Break down: This term is used when you fail or stop a business or agreement.
For example: The negotiations to the new airport broke down yestarday when both sides refused to compromise.
Break off: This term is used when something stop or end suddenly.
For example: Venezuela government broke off the diplomatics relations with Colombia due to a frontier problem.
Bring off: This term is used when you execute a work successfully.
For example: We were unable to bring off the deal to buy the new machine to the continuity plan.
Bring up: This term is used when you have something to say in a meeting, but you know that it\'s going to generate a discussion.
For example: I tried hard not to bring up the subject of sales commissions during the meeting.
Call off: This term is used when you have to stop or quit or cancel something by some problems or only for any decision.
For example: The meeting was called off because everybody was busy dealing with urgent business.
Come up with: This term is used when something produce or fund a thought, a good idea or an answer.
For example: I was praised by my boss when I came up the solution to the cash box.
Cross that bridge when one comes to it: This term is used when you delay worrying about something that might until it actually does happen.
For example: Don\'t worry about your income certification, We cann\'t cross that briege when one comes to it.
Cut (someone) off: This term is used when someone stop other person from saying something.
For example: We tried to outline our proposal but we were constantly cut off by our noisy opponents.
Dead wood: This term refers to people or things which are no longer considered useful or necessary.
For example: During the economic crisis, the companies have to cut the dead wood.
Dirty work: This term refers about a task or set of task that are unpleasant and often unappreciated.
For example: More often than not, a new employee has to do the dirty work. But, one someone else joins his organization, that formerly - new employee can move on to more challenging assignmets.
Dream ticket: This term is used if you think than two people would work well together and be successful.
For example: Clinton and Obama teaming up for the general election would be a dream ticket for many Americans.
Fine line: This idiom is used when you have to take a decision, but the differences between the options are very subtle.
For example: We have to take the decision between two big supplier, but it`s a fine line of differents, because both are so competent.
Firing line: Someone who is in a position to be criticized due to events or bad image in the company.
For example: The managing director of this office is in the firing line since the fraud was discovered.
Give in: It\'s used when you have a discussion or a fighting and you decide to do as the other person wants.
For example: After eight weeks of negotiations we gave in and agreed to sell the machinery at a large discount.
Get the sack / be sacked: It\'s used when a person lose their job, usually because they have done something wrong.
For example: Charlie got the sack when his boss caught him stealing.
Get to first base: It is used when you delivery or release a product or service before than the competition and you obtain a good position in the market or a negotiation.
For example: With the new financial product the bank got to first base, because the other banks don\'t have this kind of product.
Get the message: It is used when you are talking with someone and the person undestand clearly the message.
For example: I don\'t think that the other side really got the message regarding the direction the negotiations were heading.
Go for broke: It is used when you risk everything in order to achieve the result you want.
For example: The traider going for broke with the stock market.
In over one\'s head: This term is used when you have a situation or a problem that it is too difficult, complicated, or dangerous for one to handle easily.
For example: The new project is so difficult to me, because we only have a little information. It\'s over my head.
In the bag: This phrase means something is a certainly or sure to happen. You can use in personal finance too.
For example: We are working during 2 mounths to win this business, don\'t worry is in the bag.
In the know: This phase means someone is informed about something or aware of a situation.
For example: The strategical planning is in the know of all the employees.
Learn the ropes: Used when you learn how to do a particular job correctly and faster.
For example: The new apprentice is bright. It won\'t take him long to learn the ropes.
Pull out all the stops: It\'s means that someone will do everything he can to ensure a successful result. But, unlike the previous expression, it usually doesn\'t have a negative connotation (secoundary meaning).
For example: The project is so late, pull out all the stops to release the software on time.
Ripoff (noun and verb): Is a situation in which the buyer paid too much for what he or she received. Let\'s say you learn that most people pay US300 for an airplane ticket from one city to another, but you paid US500. Understandably, you\'d angry and conclude that your ticket was a ripoff.
For example: 1. The Murcia Piramide was a ripoff to Colombian people.
Stop at nothing: If a political race is particularly hard fought, a candidate may do whatever it takes - such a highly - negative, even false, advertising - in order to win. Consequently, this term means that a person would do anything to reach his goal. The implication of this expression is sometimes negative, because you can do activities legal or illegal.
For example: A highly aggresive executive moght stop at nothing to outsell his competitor or to meet Wall Street expectations.
Show somebody the ropes: It\'s used when you explain, teach or coah to someboby how to do a particular job.
For example: The manager is busy showing the ropes to two new trainees.
The cream of the crop: This expresion is used to refer to best people or things in a particular group.
For example: The bank chose the best employees of the year, they are the cream of the crop in the organization.
Tricks of the trade: This expresion refers to a clever or expert way of doing things, especially in a job.
For example: The bank has the best traiders of the country, they know all the tricks of the trade in the exchange stock market.
Waiting in the wings: This expresion is used when someone is waiting for an opportinuty to take action, especially to replace someone else in their job or position.
For example: There are many young actors waiting in the wings, ready to show their talent. [[Category:Idioms Business Finance Politics Relationship]]
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