20. ComClub Common Business idoms Flashcards
urobiť niečo naviac
-To go beyond what is necessary or expected in order to please someone, achieve something, or get something done correctly
-to try harder to please someone or to get the task done correctly; to do more than one is required to do to reach a goal
-If you go the extra mile, you make a special effort to do or achieve something
-be especially assiduous in your attempt to achieve something.
-make a special effort to achieve something, help somebody
Make a special effort to accomplish something, go beyond the norm
go the extra mile
I like doing business with that company. They always go the extra mile. My teacher goes the extra mile to help us.
ponorený až po uši v nejakej činnosti
-Extremely busy; deeply involved or engrossed (in or with something).
-Extremely busy (with something); deeply or overly involved (in something); possessing, filled up with, or overwhelmed by an excessive amount (of something)
up to your eyeballs
I simply won’t have the time — I’m up to my eyeballs in work.
šplhať po kariérnom rebríčku
climb the career ladder
bežná činnosť
-The typical proceedings. The phrase is sometimes but not always used to indicate that things have returned to normal after something unforeseen or unpleasant has happened.
-having things go along as usual
-The normal course of some activity
-You say business as usual to mean that everything is continuing in the normal way, even though something unpleasant or unexpected has happened.
business as usual
.A: “How are things at the office?” B: “Business as usual. Nothing exciting has happened lately.”
pracovať nepretržite
-To work constantly and for very long periods of time.
-
work around the clock
Our team has been working round the clock to get this new product ready by the deadline
premýšľať neštandardne
MEANING:TO GO BEYOND A NORMAL IDEA
-To think of something that is outside of or beyond what is considered usual, traditional, or conventional; to think innovatively
-Fig. to think freely, not bound by old, nonfunctional, or limiting structures, rules, or practices
-If you think outside the box, you have new and unusual ideas.
-have ideas that are original, creative, or innovative.
think outside the box
Let’s think outside the box for a minute and try to find a better solution.
HOW TO USE IT:STOP LOOKING AT PAST EXAMPLES AND THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
znížiť nároky
MEANING: TO DO SOMETHING THE EASIEST OR QUICKEST WAY
-To skip certain steps in order to do something as easily or cheaply as possible, usually to the detriment of the finished product or end result
-Do something in the easiest or least expensive way
cut corners
HOW TO USE IT: “CUTTING CORNERS ON CASE STUDIES WILL RESULT IN CARELESS ERRORS.”
They’re always finding ways to cut corners. I won’t cut corners just to save money. I put quality first.
späť na začiatok
MEANING:BACK TO THE BEGINNING
-Back to the very first stage of something; returned to an initial starting point
-Fig. back to the beginning. (As with a board game.)
- back to the starting point, with no progress made.
back at square one
HOW TO USE IT:IF WE LOSE A FUNDING FOR MORE RESEARCH, IT´LL BE BACK TO SQUARE ONE
Negotiations have broken down, and it’s back to square one. We lost our appeal of the lower court decision, so back to square one.
v dvanástej hodine, na poslednú chvíľu
-The last possible moment or opportunity. Can be hyphenated if used as a modifier before a noun
-The latest possible time
-the moment when it is almost, but not quite, too late to do something, avoid something,
the eleventh hour
I was shocked that they reached an eleventh-hour decision after weeks of squabbling.
rozbaliť
MEANING: TO GET STARTED
-To set something, often a process, in motion; to begin
-Also, keep the ball rolling. Start an undertaking; also, keep an undertaking from flagging.
- begin/continue an activity, discussion
get the ball rolling
HOW TO USE IT: “IT’S TIME TO GET THE BALL ROLLING ON THE 2018 FORECAST.”
I will start the ball rolling by introducing the first speaker.
odložiť veci ako nepodstatné na neskôr
MEANING: LOW PRIORITY
When you put something on a back burner, you make it a low priority. In other words, you’ve decided that the task or activity on a back burner isn’t immediately important.
put things on the back burner
HOW TO USE IT: “PUT THAT REPORT ON THE BACK BURNER AND FOCUS ON NEW BUSINESS.”
MEANING: SOMETHING IS NOT COMPLICATED TO UNDERSTAND
It´s not a rocket science
HOW TO USE IT: “JUST LOOK UP THE ANSWER ONLINE; IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE.”
MEANING: TO BE FAMILIAR WITH CURRENT INFORMATION
up to speed
HOW TO USE IT: “WE HAVE A NEW TEAM MEMBER STARTING THIS WEEK. CAN
EVERYONE HELP HIM GET UP TO SPEED ON OUR ACCOUNTS?”
MEANING: TO START AGAIN AFTER A PLAN OR IDEA WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL
back to the drawning board
HOW TO USE IT: “THE CLIENT REJECTED OUR ORIGINAL CONCEPT, SO IT’S BACK TO THE
DRAWING BOARD
MEANING: A LONG PERIOD OF TIME
for the long haul
HOW TO USE IT: “THE NEW BUSINESS PITCH WILL BE HARD WORK, BUT WE’RE
IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL.”
MEANING: TO CONSISTENTLY WORK BEYOND
NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS
burnt the midnight oil
HOW TO USE IT: “OUR MANAGER IS BURNING
THE MIDNIGHT OIL TO MEET EVERY
DEADLINE.”
MEANING: TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM A NORMAL ROUTINE
change of pace
HOW TO USE IT: “COMPANY OUTINGS ARE A NICE CHANGE OF PACE FROM OUR REGULAR WORK WEEK.
MEANING:
TO HAVE SHARING UNDERSTANDING WITH OTHERS
on the same page
HOW TO USE IT:LET´S GO COMMUNICATE CONSTANTLY SO WE ARE ON THE SAME PAGE
MEANING: TO DO OR SAY SOMETHING RISKY
out on the limb
HOW TO USE IT:SHE WENT OUT ON A LIMB TO DEFEND MY UNCONVENTIONAL STRATEGY
MEANING: TO DO SOMETHING EARLY OR BEFORE THE RIGHT TIME
jump the gun
HOW TO USE IT:NEXT TIME, DO MORE RESEARCH INSTEAD OF JUMPING THE GUN
MEANING: TO QUIT OR ACCEPT FAILURE
throw in the towel
HOW TO USE IT:AFTER RECEIVINGNEGATIVE FEEDBACK SHE WAS READY TO THROW IN THE TOWEL
MEANING: TO FAIL TO ACHIEVE AN INTENDED GOAL
miss the mark
HOW TO USE IT: “PLEASE REDO THE PRESENTATION SINCE YOU
MISSED THE MARK THE FIRST TIME.”
MEANING: TO STAY ALERT
stay on your toes
HOW TO USE IT: THERE WILL BE RANDOM TESTING ON THIS, SO STAY ON YOUR TOES
MEANING: TO RAISE STANDARDS OR EXPECTATIONS
raise the bar
HOW TO USE IT: “THE TEAM MUST RAISE THE BAR IF WE WANT TO WIN A CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD.
MEANING: TO FIND EXACTLY THE RIGHT ANSWER
hit the nail on the head
HOW TO USE IT: THAT´S WHAT WAS THINKING - YPU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD
MEANING: TO GET TO THE POINT WITHOUT WASTING TIME
cut the case
HOW TO USE IT: STOP TALKING ABOUT IRRELEVANT STATISTICS AND CUT TO THE CHASE
MEANING: TO DISTURB A SITUATION
rock the boat
HOW TO USE IT: THE TEAM IS FINALLY WORKING WELL TOGETHER. A NEW HIRE MAY ROCK THE BOAT
MEANING: TO BE IN TROUBLE
to be hot in water
HOW TO USE IT: “MY COWORKER
IS IN HOT WATER AFTER SENDING
A RUDE EMAIL.”
MEANING: TO ENTER AN ORGANZATION OR INDUSTRY
get your foot in the door
HOW TO USE IT: A COFFEE MEETING CAN HELP YOU GET YOUR FOOT IN THE DOOR WITH PROSPECTIVE CLIENTS
MEANING: A DISSCUSSION ABOUT EVERYDAX TOPICS
small talk
HOW TO USE IT: THE EMPLOYEES MADE SMALL TALK ABOUT THEIR WEEKENDS WHILE WAITING OUTSIDE THE BOARD ROOM
MEANING: TO HAVE SOMETHING VERY DIFFICULT TO DO
have your work cut out
HOW TO USE IT: SHE HAS HER WORK CUT OUT FOR HER WHEN IT COMES TO TRAINING THE NEW TEAM
MEANING: TO AGREE
see eye to eye
HOW TO USE IT: “MY BOSS AND I DON’T ALWAYS SEE EYE TO EYE ON REPORTING TECHNIQUES.”
MEANING: TO BE UNINFORMED
to be in the dark
THE COMPANY MERGER IN CONFIDENTIAL, SO WE´RE GOING TO KEEP SOME EMPLOYEES IN THE DARK
MEANING: THE MOST IMPORTANT PART
the bottom line
HOW TO USE IT: “IT MAY BE A GOOD IDEA, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT IT’S NOT PROFITABLE.”
MEANING: TO MAKE THE MAJOR DECISIONS
call the shots
HOW TO USE IT: “ULTIMATELY, IT’S THE CLIENT’S CHOICE SINCE THEY CALL THE SHOTS.”
MEANING: TO WORK LAZILY
slack off
HOW TO USE IT: “DON’T EXPECT A PROMOTION IF
YOU’RE CONSTANTLY SLACKING OFF.”
MEANING: A METAPHORICAL BARRIER PREVENTING ADVANCEMENT TO A HIGHER POSITION
glass ceiling
HOW TO USE IT: “I THINK THERE’S A GLASS CEILING BECAUSE I DON’T SEE ANY ROOM FOR GROWTH HERE.”
MEANING: DETAILS OF A CONTRACT THAT ARE USUALLY OVERLOOKED
fine print
HOW TO USE IT: “ALWAYS READ THE FINE PRINT BEFORE SIGNING A CONTRACT.”
MEANING: TO DO A LOT OF CALCULATIONS OR TO
SOLVE A PROBLEM
crunch the numbers
HOW TO USE IT: “WE’LL NEED TO CRUNCH THE NUMBERS
TO MAKE SURE WE CAN AFFORD THIS.”
MEANING: TO HAVE A LOT OF
RESPONSIBILITIES
have a lot on your plate
HOW TO USE IT: “I HAVE A LOT ON MY
PLATE SINCE MY SUPERVISOR QUIT LAST
WEEK.”
MEANING: THE RATE OF GAINING EXPERIENCE OR NEW SKILLS
learning curve
HOW TO USE IT: “NEW EMPLOYEES USUALLY HAVE A LEARNING CURVE.”
MEANING: TO INCREASE
rump up
HOW TO USE IT: “THE TEAM NEEDS TO RAMP UP
PRODUCTIVITY IN ORDER TO MEET THEIR DEADLINES.”
MEANING: TO BE IN DEBT
in the red
HOW TO USE IT: “IF MY COMPANY LOSES THIS CLIENT, WE’LL BE IN THE RED FOR MONTHS.”
MEANING: TO HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OR TO TAKE ACTION
the ball´s in your court
HOW TO USE IT: “WE HANDED OFF THE ASSETS SO THE BALL’S IN YOUR
COURT NOW.”
MEANING: TO KNOW IMMEDIATELY
off the top of one´s head
HOW TO USE IT: “I CAN’T THINK OF ANY IDEAS
OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD; I’LL HAVE TO DO
MORE RESEARCH.”
MEANING: A LOW LIKELIHOOD OF SOMETHING HAPPENING
long shot
HOW TO USE IT: “IT’S A LONG SHOT, BUT MAYBE WE CAN
CONVINCE OUR BOSS TO TAKE FRIDAYS OFF.”
MEANING: 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK
24/7
HOW TO USE IT: “HE’S IN THE OFFICE 24/7 DUE TO HIS HEAVY WORKLOAD.”
MEANING: TO DO SOMETHING BY LAW OR RULE
by the book
HOW TO USE IT: “THE COMPANY FIRED THE CEO FOR
NOT DOING THINGS BY THE BOOK.”
MEANING: A ROUGH ESTIMATE
ballpark figure
HOW TO USE IT: “IF YOU DON’T’ KNOW THE EXACT COST, JUST GIVE A BALLPARK FIGURE.”
MEANING: IDEAS THAT ARE FEASIBLE IN A PERFECT WORLD
blu- sky thinking
HOW TO USE IT: “THE MANAGER’S BLUE-SKY THINKING ALWAYS RESULTED IN UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS.”
MEANING: TO DO SOMETHING UNPLEASANT
punch a puppy
HOW TO USE IT: “THE BOSS WAS REALLY PUNCHING A PUPPY WHEN HE LAID OFF 15 PEOPLE.”
MEANING: TO COME UP WITH A
BUNCH OF IDEAS
thought shower
HOW TO USE IT: “WE NEED A
THOUGHT SHOWER TO COME UP
WITH NEW IDEAS.”
MEANING: THE END OF A WORKING DAY
close of play
HOW TO USE IT: “YOU NEED TO FINISH THE AUDIT BY CLOSE OF PLAY.”
MEANING: TO LOOK AT SOMETHING ONE LAYER AT A
TIME
peel the onion
HOW TO USE IT: “LET’S PEEL THE ONION TO FIGURE OUT
WHERE WE MESSED UP.”
MEANING: A GENERAL IDEA OF WHAT’S HAPPENING
helicopter view
HOW TO USE IT: “I ONLY HAVE A COUPLE MINUTES TO CHAT; JUST
GIVE ME A HELICOPTER VIEW OF THE REPORT.”
MEANING: A PERIOD OF TWO WEEKS
fortnight
HOW TO USE IT: “SHE WORKED DAY AND NIGHT FOR A FORTNIGHT TO FINISH THE PROPOSAL.”
