business spotlight pt. 01

Question 1

“crackdown” or “meltdown”?

“Japan is starting a serious ______________ on online pirates.”

Answer 1

The correct answer is: crackdown”

Japan is starting a serious crackdown on online pirates.

The word crackdown refers to a number of severe measures used to put a stop to something illegal.Japan has just introduced a new law to restrict online piracy. Internet users based in Japan can now be punished with up to two years in prison or with fines of up to two million yen ($25,700; £15,900) for downloading files illegally. This is part of a worldwide effort to reduce copyright infringements online.

crackdown = Bekämpfung, scharfes Vorgehen gegen meltdown

A meltdown is a complete collapse of something and usually has negative consequences. In a nuclear reactor, a meltdown occurs when the fuel heats up so much that it melts the reactor core.”It now looks like Japan’s Fukushima nuclear meltdown was an accident waiting to happen.

“meltdown = Zusammenbruch; Kernschmelze

Question 2

“stand-in” or “stand-off”?”

Heineken has ended the ________ over the control of Asia Pacific Breweries.”

Answer 2

The correct answer is: stand-off”

Heineken has ended the stand-off over the control of Asia Pacific Breweries.”A stand-off happens when a conflict can not be resolved because none of the opponents can win or gain an advantage.Heineken ended the stand-off by getting the support of a major stakeholder in Fraser & Neave, the company who is selling its stake in Asia Pacific Breweries. Thai billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi had also been bidding for the stake, but has now said he will back Heineken in its bid for the shares. Charoen owns 30 per cent of Fraser & Neave, and has now made an offer to buy the rest of the shares in the company.Here’s another example:”The stand-off between the CEO and our head of department still isn’t resolved.”A stand-in is someone who takes a person’s place when that person is unavailable. For example:”Mary, could you please be my stand-in at tomorrow’s meeting? I have to go and meet a client.”stand-off = Patt, Stillstandstand-in = Aushilfe, Vertretung

Question 3

“packed” or “picked”?

“In the US, house sales have __________ in the last three months.”

Answer 3

The correct answer is: picked

“In the US, house sales have picked up in the last three months.”

If something picks up, it becomes better or improves.

The real estate market in the US is showing some signs of recovery. In the last three months, house sales and housing construction have picked up. This is one of a few positive developments in the American economy that were announced last week.
pick up = sich erholen, besser werden

pack up

To pack up means to put things into a bag, case or box so that you can take or send them somewhere.
“Please pack up your equipment once you have finished using it.”

If a machine packs up, it breaks down and stops working.
“My computer packed up yesterday. I think I’ll have to buy a new one.”

If you pack up, you finish work for the day by putting work or equipment away.

“It’s already half past seven! I’m packing up now.”

pack up = zusammenpacken; den Geist aufgeben; einpacken (um nach Hause zu gehen)

Question 4

“pivotal” or “primal”?

“Yahoo has reached a _______ point in its history.”

Answer 4

The correct answer is: pivotal

“Yahoo has reached a pivotal point in its history.”

We describe something as pivotal if it is of central or of great importance. A pivot is the central part in a machine that allows it to move or turn. The word is also used to describe someone or something that has a central role in an activity or event.

In its second big hiring from its rival in recent months, Yahoo has appointed Google executive Henrique de Castro as its next chief operating officer. “This is a pivotal point in Yahoo’s history, and I believe strongly in the opportunity ahead,” Castro told the BBC.

Here are two more examples:

“Winston Churchill is a pivotal figure in British history.”

“He played a pivotal role in the project.”

pivotal = zentral, entscheidend, ausschlaggebend

primal

If something is primal, it’s on a basic level or connected with an early stage of development.

“Fear is a primal emotion.”

primal = ursprünglich, Ur-

Question 5

“rags” or “tatters”?

“Lance Armstrong’s reputation is in ___________.”

Answer 5

The correct answer is: tatters

“Lance Armstrong’s reputation is in tatters.”

When something is in tatters, it is damaged beyond repair. This can be, for example, a reputation, a relationship or a campaign.Literally, the word “tatters” refers to torn pieces of cloth.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency found strong evidence that Lance Armstrong was involved as a professional cyclist in what they called “the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program”. Now, Armstrong’s seven Tour de France titles have been annulled and his sponsors are distancing themselves from him. Armstrong’s reputation is in tatters.

Here’s another example:

“If our boss doesn’t show up, our plan to impress the stakeholders will be in tatters.”

be in tatters = ruiniert sein

tatters = Lumpen

from rags to riches

If someone goes from rags to riches, they start off very poor and end up becoming very rich. The phrase is often used to describe the American dream: that anyone, no matter how poor, can go on to make a fortune.

“He didn’t have a lot of money to begin with. Now, he’s gone from rags to riches.”

from rags to riches = vom Tellerwäscher zum Millionär

Question 6

“esteem” or “estimate”?

“The full financial cost of Hurricane Sandy will be hard to __________.”

Answer 6

The correct answer is: estimate

“The full financial cost of Hurricane Sandy will be hard to estimate.”

When you estimate something, you judge its value, number or quantity.

The Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast of the United States this Monday and caused a great deal of damage. The full financial cost of the storm will, however, be hard to estimate. Costs of lost work and costs of preparation for the storm, for example, are hard to judge.

Here’s another example:

“We estimate a five per cent increase in our sales next year.”

estimate = schätzen, bewerten

esteem

The word “esteem” means “respect and admiration”.

“She was held in high esteem by her boss.”

esteem = Achtung, Ansehen

Question 7

“availed” or “prevailed”?

“Obama has __________ in the US elections.”

Answer 7

The correct answer is: prevailed

“Obama has prevailed in the US elections.”

If someone or something prevails, that person or thing is stronger and more powerful than anything else.

Barack Obama prevailed in the US elections, defeating his challenger Mitt Romney. Now, it’s time for Obama to implement his vision, as Ian McMaster writes in his blog.

Here’s another example:

“We discussed the issue for two weeks, but finally, common sense prevailed.”

prevail = sich durchsetzen

avail

If something avails, it helps or is of use.The verb “avail” is rare.

“This argument will no longer avail.”

avail = nützen, helfen

As a noun, “avail” is more common. It means “use” or “benefit”. A common expression is “to no avail”, meaning “without any success or benefit”.

“We tried to talk him out of quitting his job, but to no avail.”

to no avail = erfolglos; vergebens

Question 8

“immediate” or “instant”?

“Microsoft’s Steven Sinofsky, head of the Windows division, is leaving the company with _____ effect.”

Answer 8

“Microsoft’s Steven Sinofsky, head of the Windows division, is leaving the company with immediate effect.”

If you take a decision with immediate effect, you implement it straightaway.

Steven Sinofsky oversaw the launch of Windows 8, the latest edition of Microsoft’s flagship product. Now, he is leaving the company with immediate effect, and Julie Larson-Green has been chosen to lead all Windows software and hardware engineering from now on.

Here’s another example:

“The agreement, which begins with immediate effect, will guarantee the weekly delivery of supplies.”

with immediate effect = mit sofortiger Wirkung; ab sofort

instant

The word “instant” also means “immediate”, but it is not used in this context.

We can talk about “instant dismissal”, which means that someone is fired without being given any notice.

“If you don’t come in to the office tomorrow, you could face instant dismissal.”

Instant messaging is a form of digital communication in which a message is transmitted the moment you press send. And meals that don’t take long to cook are called “instant meals” and, of course, you also have “instant coffee”.

Here’s an example:

“I’m having instant soup for lunch today.”

instant = unmittelbar; tafelfertig

You can use “this instant” to mean “now”, but only if you want to show that you are angry about something that needs to be done right now.

“Put out that cigarette this instant!”

Question 9

“all-star” or “all-time”?

“Problem loans at Spain’s banks have hit an _____ high.”

Answer 9

The correct answer is: all-time

“Problem loans at Spain’s banks have hit an all-time high.”

If you describe something using “all-time”, it exceeds others of its kind up to the present moment. If something reaches or hits an all-time high, it is the highest it has ever been.

In Spain, bad debts have reached 182 billion euros or 10.7% of bank assets — a new record.

Here’s another example:

“The ratings for the American Music Awards hit an all-time low last Sunday.”

all-time = Rekord-, aller Zeiten

all-star

Something that is “all-star” is made up exclusively of stars.

“George Clooney’s next movie will have an all-star cast.”

all-star cast = (komplette) Starbesetzung

There are many compound adjectives with “all-“. Here are some more examples so you can get an idea of how they work:

all-American

“Thanksgiving is an all-American holiday.”

all-American = rein amerikanisch

all-inclusive

“I’ve just booked an all-inclusive holiday.”

all-inclusive = alles inbegriffen

all-in-one

“Did you see that all-in-one deal for a PC?”

all-in-one = pauschal

all-important

“It’s all-important that you talk to him about the deal today.”

all-important = äußerst wichtig

Question 10

“in the water” or to the world”?

“The deal is not dead ____ yet. They could still agree to it.”

Answer 10

The correct answer is: in the water
“The deal is not dead in the water yet. They could still agree to it.”

If something is “dead in the water”, then it has failed. We can also use the phrase to talk about a person, if we want to say that someone has failed and that there is very little hope that that person will succeed in the future.

be dead in the water = gestorben sein

If someone is dead to the world, that person is fast asleep.

“His presentation was so boring. After about five minutes, I was dead to the world.”

be dead to the world = tief und fest schlafen

Question 11

“helm” or “oar”?

“Surprisingly, a Canadian will take the ____ at the Bank of England.”

Answer 11

The correct answer is: helm

“Surprisingly, a Canadian will take the helm at the Bank of England.”

The helm is the position of control. If you take the helm, you fill this position.

Chancellor George Osborne has named Mark Carney as the new governor of the Bank of England. The choice is unusual because Carney is a Canadian and currently the governor of the Canadian central bank.

Here’s another example:

“He left the company after two years at the helm.”

take the helm = das Ruder übernehmen

oar

If you “stick your oar in”, you give your comments or opinions, even if no one has asked you for them.

“It’s not her area of expertise, but she couldn’t help sticking her oar in.”

stick one’s oar in = mitmischen

Question 12

“filed” or “raised”?”

The Spanish oil company Repsol has ____ a complaint against the Argentine government.”

• eine Beschwerde einreichen
• einen Einspruch erheben

Answer 12

The correct answer is: filed

“The Spanish oil company Repsol has filed a complaint against the Argentine government.”

To file a complaint means to make a complaint in a court of law.

In April, the Argentine government seized assets of Repsol, claiming that the company was not investing enough money in oil production. Now, Repsol is asking for compensation, and has taken its case to the World Bank.

Here’s another example:

“Our competitors have stolen our idea. We should file a complaint.”

file a complaint = eine Beschwerde einreichen

raise

If you raise an objection, you say that you don’t agree with something. If you do so in a court of law, you make it known that you do not want a particular piece of evidence admitted into the trial.

“I’m sorry, but I’d like to raise an objection to your plan.”

raise an objection = einen Einspruch erheben, Einspruch einlegen

Question 13

“long” or “short”?

“It’s a bit of a _____ shot, but BlackBerry hope that their new smartphone will win back customers.”

Answer 13

The correct answer is: long

“It’s a bit of a long shot, but BlackBerry hope that their new smartphone will win back customers.”

A long shot is an attempt to do something that is quite risky and has only a small chance of being successful. A competitor or contestant who is a long shot is unlikely to win a race.

Research in Motion (RIM), the maker of the BlackBerry, has launched a new BlackBerry phone — and changed its name to BlackBerry. Since the Canadian company has lost considerable market share over the past few years, the new phone is seen as an attempt to win back customers. However, some analysts are sceptical that RIM, or BlackBerry, can pull it off. Frank Mersch, one of the earliest investors in the cmpany, is critical: “You’re in a very, very competitive market and you’re not the leader,” Mersch told The New York Times.

The expression was used in a headline in the Chicago Tribune:

 BlackBerry comeback is a long shot

We use “not by a long shot” to show that we mean “not at all”.

"The European crisis is not over yet. Not by a long shot."

Question 14

“teeth” or “cheek”?

Guy Richie and David Beckham have teamed up to make a tongue-in- ____ video for the fashion house H&M.

Answer 14

The correct answer is: cheek

Guy Richie and David Beckham have teamed up to make a tongue-in-cheek video for the fashion house H&M.

If something is tongue-in-cheek, it is meant to be humorous, not serious.

We have cheeks on our faces and cheeks on our bottoms. In the video, we first see Beckham’s cheeky face, and then he pulls his underpants over his other cheeks, before running after his wife and three children who are driving away with his bathrobe in the car door.

H&M are hoping that putting Beckham’s cheeks in their ads for underwear will push up sales. Decide for yourself if the video works.

Question 15

“French President François Hollande arrived in Athens yesterday, but Greek journalists didn’t report the event - they staged a 24-hour _____ instead.”

Answer 15

The correct answer is: walkout

“French President François Hollande arrived in Athens yesterday, but Greek journalists didn’t report the event — they staged a 24-hour walkout instead.”

A walkout is a sudden, unplanned strike.

On Tuesday, French President François Hollande arrived in Athens to discuss Greece’s financial crisis. A strike by journalists meant that his trip was not covered in the Greek media.

walkabout

Originally, “walkabout” referred to a special journey taken by an Australian Aboriginal. Today, it’s also used to describe an informal walk by a famous person through crowds of people.

“President Hollande didn’t have much time for a walkabout in Athens.”

Question 16

“In Ireland, cash-____ owners have been selling their unwanted horses.”

Answer 16

The correct answer is: strapped

“In Ireland, cash- strapped owners have been selling their unwanted horses.”

If you are cash-strapped, you do not have much money. We can also say that someone is “strapped for cash”. Often, we use this expression to show that someone is short of money, but only for a short period of time.

The economic downturn has led to an increase in the number of horses being slaughtered, resulting in a flood of cheap horsemeat. In Ireland, a country of horse-lovers, people bought horses during the “Celtic Tiger” years. Due to the recession, many people can no longer afford to keep the animals. Last year, 20,000 horses may have been slaughtered in Ireland, ten times as many as were slaughtered in 2008. In the UK, over 9,000 horses were slaughtered for meat in 2012, almost double the number in 2009.

cash-starved

If something is cash-starved, it has not been given the money it needs to do what it should do. We often use this expression to refer to organizations that receive money from the government.

“The cash-starved public hospital should be closed. As it is, it’s a danger to public health.”

Question 17

“watershed” or “waterslide”?

“The decision to cap bankers’ bonuses could represent a ____ for Britain’s relations with the EU.”

Answer 17

The correct answer is: watershed

“The decision to cap bankers’ bonuses could represent a watershed for Britain’s relations with the EU.”

A watershed is an event that causes an important change to take place. This week, George Osbourne, Britain’s finance minister, suffered a defeat in Brussels when 26 member states supported a proposal to cap bankers’ bonuses. Britain fears that such a cap would damage the City, London’s financial centre. The City accounts for a tenth of the UK economy. The rules would mean that bonuses would be limited to the size of the salary, or two times a banker’s salary if 50 per cent of shareholders agree to the bonus in a vote.

Britain now has to wait for the next stage of the legal process for a chance to win concessions for the City. This is scheduled for May 2013. Osbourne criticized the decisions. “Our concern is that it may have a perverse effect: it may undermine responsibility in the banking system rather than promote it,” he commented.

watershed = Wendepunkt

waterslide

A waterslide is not usually something you see in a business situation, although Google is reported to have a number of normal slides in some of its offices.

waterslide = Wasserrutsche

Question 18

“trick” or “treat”?

“Working life isn’t nine-to-five any more. The world is connected. Companies that do not embrace this are missing a ____.”

Richard Branson

Answer 18

The correct answer is: trick

“Working life isn’t nine-to-five any more. The world is connected. Companies that do not embrace this are missing a trick.”
Richard Branson

Normally, we talk about people who don’t miss a trick, and not about people who do miss a trick. If you don’t miss a trick, you can always spot an opportunity and use it. Here, Richard Branson says that companies are missing a trick, or missing an opportunity, if they don’t accept that employees don’t need to be in the office from nine-to-five.

not/never miss a trick = sich nichts entgehen lassen, nichts anbrennen lassen

Branson was commenting on the news that Yahoo will no longer allow staff to work from home or remotely. This week, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer sent a memo to all members of staff announcing a plan that requires Yahoo employees who work remotely to relocate to company offices. According to several news sources, the change will affect several hundred employees, including people who work from home only one or two days a week. It appears that employees must either return to working at the office, or quit.

Branson is not the only person to criticize the move. In a way, it does seem ironic that an international internet company wants its staff to be on the company premises during working hours.

treat

A treat is something nice. At Halloween, children in the US traditionally say “Trick or treat!” as a way of asking for sweets (or candy). If you don’t give them a treat, they might play a trick on you. In business, you can use this expression to offer to pay for a meal in a restaurant.

“This is my treat. As a thank you for all the great work you’ve done for us this year!”

treat = Genuss, besondere Freude

Question 19

“grapevine” or “breadline”?

“I’ve been unemployed twice so I know what it’s like to live on the __________.”

Iain Duncan Smith, UK Work and Pensions Secretary

Answer 19

The correct answer is: breadline

“I’ve been unemployed twice so I know what it’s like to live on the breadline.”

If you live on the breadline, you are very poor.

This month, the UK welfare system will undergo a major reform, which includes the following:

a £26,000 cap on the amount of benefits a household can receive
 a cut to housing benefits for working-age social housing tenants who live in a property that is larger than one they need

Some of the changes have been criticized by a number of charities and the new Archbishop of Canterbury, who said that “children and families will pay the price” of the reform.

Iain Duncan Smith has insisted that changes to the welfare system are fair. This week, when asked if he could live on £53 (about €62) a week (the amount some people will now receive), Smith said: “If I had to I would.” A petition has been set up on Change.org which challenges the politician to prove his claim. This morning, more than 350,000 people had signed it. Smith called the petition a “complete stunt” and told his local Wanstead and Woodford Guardian that he had been unemployed twice in his life so “I know what it is like to live on the breadline”.

Our news story this week looks at the BREAD Ideas Challange, a contest that asks agricultural scientists around the world for ideas on how to help farmers in developing countries. Read more here.

grapevine

You can hear something “on the grapevine”. This means that you heard some news from someone in an informal conversation. “I heard it through the grapevine”, sung by Marvin Gaye, was a hit in the 60s.

Question 20

“run” or “rush”?

“When the banks open again in Cyprus, will there be a bank ____?”

Answer 20

The correct answer is: run

“When the banks open again in Cyprus, will there be a bank run?”

A bank run refers to a situation when a lot of people take their money out of a bank at the same time.

bank run = Ansturm auf die Banken

Last weekend, politicians and EU officials thought that they had put together a winning deal to bail out Cyprus. However, they’d forgotten to factor in one possible scenario that is now causing trouble across the eurozone.

As a condition of the bailout, the Cypriots were supposed to agree to a tax (also called a levy) on bank deposits. They didn’t. In parliament, the bailout conditions were rejected, to the relief of the Cypriot population. Most Cypriots regarded the levy as unfair, illegal and immoral, particularly as, in the EU, bank deposits up to €100,000 are meant to be insured and therefore safe. The idea that the EU and the IMF could confiscate money once, suggests that they could do it again. Their plan of action would have set a dangerous precedent. And once the trust in the banking system has gone, there could be a bank run and the banks could collapse.

The Cypriot economy is small, about half the size of Bremen, according to Handelsblatt, or smaller than Vermont’s, according to The New York Times, but the country’s rejection of the bailout is causing turmoil across a whole continent, including Russia. The Cypriot banking system is a popular place for Russian businesspeople to deposit their money (including, allegedly, their black money). According to Moody’s rating agency, Russians keep about $19 billion in deposits in Cyprus. At the end of last year, Russian banks also had around $12 billion in Cypriot banks. They have also loaned about $40 billion to Cypriot companies of Russian origin. And the EU would like at 10 per cent of any of that money that is still in their banks, which would go a long way towards bailing out Cyprus. Like the Cypriots, however, the Russians aren’t happy about the levy.

At the moment, no one seems to know what’s next for Cyprus.

Question 21

“gold” or “silver”?”

Microsoft’s €5.44 billion purchase of Nokia is an interesting deal, but it’s no ______ bullet for the company’s problems.”

Answer 21

The correct answer is:

silver

“Microsoft’s €5.44 billion purchase of Nokia is an interesting deal, but it’s no silver bullet for the company’s problems.”

A silver bullet can kill a werewolf, so the story goes. In business, we use “silver bullet” to describe a solution to a problem that is so simple it seems magical. As werewolves don’t exist, you can be pretty certain that silver bullets don’t either.

Microsoft has been working with Nokia for over three years, but they are still a very distant third in the ranking of smartphones sales worldwide. Microsoft’s software makes up only 4 per cent of the market, while Apple and Google software have a combined 90 per cent.

Nokia’s chief executive, Stephen Elop, has stepped down from the company’s board and will join Microsoft. Elop will be in charge of creating mobile devices for consumers and business users, but he has a difficult task ahead. Consumers prefer Apple and Google devices partly because of the many apps that are available for their platforms. App developers, however, seem reluctant to invest their time and energy into adapting their apps for the Microsoft platform. It’s simply too small. They will take some convincing to do so for any new Microsoft handsets. In addition, Elop will have to find a way to integrate 32,000 Nokia employees with Microsoft’s 100,000.

Question 22

“spyware” or “shareware”?

“A lot of client data is saved on my laptop, so it’s important my anti-____ software is up-to-date.”

Answer 22

The correct answer is:

spyware

“A lot of client data is saved on my laptop, so it’s important my anti-spyware software is up-to-date.”

Spyware is a type of software that secretly collects user information through the users’ internet connection without their knowledge, usually for advertising purposes.

Spyware applications are usually bundled with software the user has downloaded from the internet. Once installed, the spyware monitors user activity on the internet and sends that information in the background to someone else. Spyware can also collect information about email addresses and even passwords and credit card numbers.

To counteract spyware, there are programs you can install to remove or block it. Users are also advised to install a web browser that has a lower risk of spyware infection. Some internet service providers use their firewall to block access to websites known to install spyware.

Question 23

“earth” or “air”?

“Al Jazeera America promises to _____ in-depth, fact-based news.”

Answer 23

“Al Jazeera America promises to air in-depth, fact-based news.”

In the media, to air something is to broadcast it on radio or television.

The Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera has launched a television news channel specifically for viewers in the United States. Al Jazeera America is one of the biggest television news undertakings since Rupert Murdoch started the Fox News channel in 1996.

Al Jazeera America is promising 14 hours of news a day and only six minutes of commercials an hour, compared to the 16 minutes on other US networks. It is employing an impressive number of staff — 900 people, of which 400 are on the news team — based in 12 bureaus around the US. It has also put together a 16-person investigative reporting team and will feature in-depth documentary films. This comes at a time when other US networks are closing their regional bureaus, retrenching journalists and dismantling their investigative teams. Al Jazeera is funded by the oil- and gas-rich Qatar government.

“Viewers will see a news channel unlike the others,” said Al Jazeera America’s acting chief executive Ehab Al Shihabi at a recent news conference. “There will be less opinion, less yelling and fewer celebrity sightings.”

The verb “to air” also means to express an opinion.

“Everyone will be allowed to air their grievances at today’s meeting.”

earth

To earth something is to connect an electrical device to the ground.

“You had better make sure the heating system is earthed properly before you turn it on.”

Question 24

“hard bargain” or “hard line”?

“Peter certainly drives a hard ______. He negotiated a pay rise as well as a new company car.”

Answer 24

“Peter certainly drives a hard bargain. He negotiated a pay rise as well as a new company car.”

To drive a hard bargain is to make someone agree to a price or a deal that benefits you. The noun “bargain” is something that is bought or offered for sale much more cheaply than usual:

“The dress was a real bargain. I bought it for 40 per cent off!”

The verb “to bargain” is to negotiate the terms and conditions of an agreement:

“Adam bargained long and hard with the company before they agreed to buy his software.”

To “keep one’s side of the bargain” means to carry through with something you agreed on:

“We unfortunately had to terminate Brenda’s contract. She didn’t keep her side of the bargain.”

Question 25

“zero-sum” or “zero-hours”?

“With a zero-_____ contract, you never know when you’ll get called into work.”

Answer 25

“With a zero-hours contract, you never know when you’ll get called into work.”

A zero-hours contract is a British English term for a contract of employment where the employee agrees to be available for work when required, but where no particular hours or times of work are guaranteed. The employee is expected to be on call and receives payment only for the hours worked.

In the past week, a number of companies and organizations in the UK — from McDonald’s to Buckingham Palace — have come under critcism for hiring staff under such conditions. It is now believed that up to 1 million Britons are working with no guaranteed income. The flexibility of zero-hours contracts may suit some people, such as students or parents. But employees often get no sick pay or holiday leave. The contracts also leave people vulnerable to last-minute shift cancellations and, with no regular income, make it harder for them to get rental agreements, a credit card or bank loan.

This year, Buckingham Palace has hired all its temporary summer staff on zero-hours contracts but it is not allowing them to work anywhere else without written permission. And McDonald’s is potentially the biggest zero-hours employer in Britain, forcing nine out of ten staff members to work on these terms.

Some trade unionists are calling for such contracts to be made illegal. “Zero-hours contracts should be outlawed entirely. They wind the clock back to the bad old days of people standing at factory gates, waiting to be picked for a day’s work,” Dave Prentis of the Unison union told The Guardian .

“Zero-hour” is also a military term and is used to describe the time at which a planned operation is about to begin.

zero-sum

In a game or situation, zero-sum means that whatever is gained by one side, is lost by the other.

“Some experts believe international economic growth is becoming a zero-sum game.”