Idioms for Business Flashcards
Across the board
включая всех/поголовно
Means all inclusive, everything, everybody
The company’s number were down across the board in every department.
Ahead of the curve
занимать лидирующие позиции
Means to be better, more successful or advanced than other companies
With the bestselling product on the market, our company is ahead of the curve in sales.
Back to square one
всё сначала, всё заново
Means to start something over again
The students didn`t understand the differences between the two concepts so the teacher started over again, going back to square one.
Bang for the buck
соотношение затрат и прибыли, во всех смыслах, в частности полученного удовольствия и потраченных денег
Means more value or a better pay off for the investment of money spent
Internet advertising is lower priced and more universal giving it more bang for the buck.
Bring home the bacon
1) зарабатывать достаточно 2) добиться своего; добиться успеха; оказаться в выигрыше
Means to earn money for the family
I work hard bringing home the bacon to support my family.
Chicken feed
маленькая сумма, мелочь, жалкие крохи
Means a small amount of money (similar to working for peanuts)
His son always wants to borrow money and says that it is only chicken feed but little by little it adds up to a lot of money.
Corner the market
монополизировать рынок, скупая товары
Means to have great or the greatest success in a specific market
Online courses are so convenient and growing so fast that, for English learning, they will soon corner the market.
Crunching numbers
производить математические вычисления
Means to do mathematical calculations
Excel is a great program for crunching numbers.
Dot your i’s and cross your t’s
Поставь точки над i (уточни свои слова, договаривай до конца)
Means to be very careful paying attention to every detail
This contract is very important so be sure to dot your i’s and cross your t’s.
Fill the bill
отвечать всем требованиям; подходить
Means to provide just what is needed
His thorough knowledge and experience online will fill the bill to deliver our classes over the internet.
Foot the bill
оплатить счёт, оплатить расходы
Means to cover the cost or payment for something or someone
The leading department in sales often has to foot the bill for the worst department to keep everyone working.
From the ground up
до основания, основательно, полностью, досконально, во всех отношениях
Means to start something from “zero” and work up to the top
The website was totally redesigned from the ground up.
Gravy train
выгодное предприятие
Means a job requiring little work for good pay, benefits etc.
The CEO, although never at work, was making millions riding the gravy train.
Have a stake in something
быть заинтересованным в (чем-л.)
Means to have a partial ownership of a company or other business or to be somehow invested in something
With all my time, effort and money, I really have a stake in the business.
In the black
не имеющий долгов, находящийся в хорошем финансовом положении
Means to be making a profit.
We are having a great year so our accounts are in the black.
In the red
влезший в долги; превысивший кредит; убыточный
Means to not be profitable or operating at a loss.
We owe so much money that our accounts are in the red.
In the loop / out of the loop
(не) принадлежащий к определенному кругу, не имеющий допуска к информации, не из наших
Means to be in or out of the group of people that are informed and up-to-date
Even though I was on vacation, through the internet, my secretary kept me in the loop.
Jacking up the prices
набить[ поднять] цену
Means to increase the prices usually drastically
They took advantage of the product demand by jacking up the prices to increase their profits.
Last straw
последняя капля (терпения)
Means the last action which causes someone to reach their breaking point, becoming mad, frustrated, or giving up
I gave up because the government’s lack of approval for new business incentives was the last straw.
Loophole
лазейка; увёртка
Means that there is a way of interpreting a law or a rule in order to get around doing the right thing
Politicians are known for finding loopholes to take advantage of the laws.
On a shoestring
в стеснённых обстоятельствах, на скудные средства
Means to be on a low budget with little money to invest
He built a major corporation up from nothing on a shoestring.
Pass the buck
переложить ответственность (на другого)
Means to put the burden or blame for something on someone else
Many coworkers won’t take responsibility for their mistakes and pass the buck to others.
Penny-wise and pound foolish
экономный в мелочах и расточительный в крупном
Means to wrongly care about the small details while not worrying about the larger challenges
His department is penny-wise and pound foolish and economizes on small items but wastes their money on big items.
Plug a product
продвигать товар
Means to promote a product usually with a famous celebrity
The company is counting on the fame of the TV star to plug their product.
