Certainly! Here's a list of the idioms from your original list without their definitions and examples:
1. A blank cheque
2. A foot in the door
3. All hands on deck
4. A-team
5. Alpha Geek
6. Across the board
7. At a loss
8. At a premium
9. Back-of-the-envelope calculations
10. Bail a company out
11. Ball park figure/estimate
12. Bang for the buck
13. Banker’s hours
14. Bean-counter
15. Belt-tightening
16. Big gun/cheese/wheel/wig
17. Bite the bullet
18. Bitter pill to swallow
19. Blockbuster
20. Board of directors
21. Bottom fall out/drop out
22. Bottom line
23. Bottom out
24. Business as usual
25. Boys/men in the backroom
26. Break even
27. Budget squeeze/crunch
28. Business is business
29. Buy off
30. Buy out
31. By a long shot
32. Calibrated risk
33. Compare apples to oranges
34. Cash in on
35. Captain of industry
36. Carry over
37. Carry the day
38. Carry through
39. Climb the corporate ladder
40. Crunch time
41. Cash cow
42. Close out
43. Cog in the machine
44. Close the books
45. Cold calls
46. Corporate ladder
47. Come on strong
48. Company man
49. Crunch numbers
50. Cut back
51. Cut corners
52. Cut off
53. Cut one’s losses
54. Deliver the goods
55. Double-check
56. Dog-eat-dog world
57. Doom and gloom
58. Downsize (v.)
59. Drag one's feet
60. Drum up business
61. Drastic times call for drastic measures
62. Earnings per share (EPS)
63. E-Commerce (n.)
64. End user
65. Entrepreneur
66. Face value
67. Fast track a project
68. Face the music
69. Fair play
70. Figure out
71. Fill the bill
72. Finger in the pie
73. Gain ground
74. Generate lots of buzz
75. Get the hang of something
76. Get a break
77. Get off the ground
78. Give someone the green light
79. Golden opportunity
80. Go out of business
81. Go public
82. Go through with
83. Golden handshake
84. Hard sell
85. Headquarters
86. Have a lot on one's plate
87. Heads will roll
88. Hive of activity
89. in black and white
90. In the doldrums
100. in charge of
101. in short supply
102. in stock
103. in the black
104. in the long run
105. In the market for
106. in the red
107. in the works
108. Inventory
109. jack up
110. (to) jump the gun
111 keep books
112. (to) keep one's eye on the prize
113. keep track of
114. kickback
115. Loan
116. make a go of
117. Margin
118. mean business
119. gMonkey business (Idiom)
120. my gut tells me
121. number-cruncher
122. mum's the word
123. Nuts and bolts
Nothing ventured, nothing gained
O
on hand
on credit
Overhead
on the block
P
pay off (v.)
(to) pass the buck
Personnel (n.)
piece/slice of the action
(to) pull one's weight
Play the game
prospective employees
(to) pull the plug
Q
Qualify (v.)
Quotation
R
R & D
rein in
reality check
red ink
run short
S
saddled with debt
Sales force
(to) scale back one's hours
sell like hotcakes
sell out
Shape up or ship out!
Sleeping /silent partner
Slice/share of the cake (or pie)
strike while the iron is hot
sweetheart deal
T
take a nosedive
take on
take over
take public
take stock
Take the plunge
Take the floor
to tap into
throw cold water on
though the roof
throw money at something
tight spot
Trade secret
turn over
U
Underemployed
Unemployment compensation (n.)
(The) upper hand
Up and running
V
Value added (n.)
W
Wear many hats
Win-win
work out
Working hours
write off
X
X
Y
Year-to-Date (YTD)
Yield
Yes man
Z
Zombie firms
Zoning (adjective)
If you have any more requests or questions, feel free to ask!
Here are some idioms from your list with sentences as examples:
A blank cheque
MEANING: If you give someone a blank cheque, you authorize them to do what they think is best in a difficult situation.
EXAMPLE: Tim was given a blank cheque and told to negotiate the best deal possible.
A foot in the door
MEANING: To say that someone has a foot in the door means that they have a small but successful start in something, and will possibly do well in the future.
EXAMPLE: With today's unemployment, it's difficult to get a foot in the door in any profession. Jim has his foot in the door.
All hands on deck
MEANING: When there is a need for all hands on deck, everyone must help, especially when there's a lot of work to be done in a short amount of time.
EXAMPLE: As the opening day approached, it was all hands on deck to have everything ready in time.
A-team
MEANING: An elite group or task force that is willing and capable of solving difficult problems or a team that works together under uncertain conditions to create innovative solutions.
EXAMPLE: The new engineer was assigned to the A-team to tackle the division’s most pressing problem.
Alpha Geek
MEANING: The most knowledgeable, technically proficient person in an office or work group.
EXAMPLE: I have no idea. Please ask Paul. He’s our alpha geek.
Across the board
MEANING: Including everyone or everything.
EXAMPLE: The computer company decided to give the workers an across-the-board increase in their salary.
At a loss
MEANING: Sell something and lose money.
EXAMPLE: We were forced to sell the computers at a big loss.
At a premium
MEANING: At a high price; at a relatively high price.
EXAMPLE: When flat-screen televisions first came out, they were selling at a premium.
Back-of-the-envelope calculations
MEANING: Quick calculations; estimates using approximate numbers, instead of exact numbers.
EXAMPLE: I don't need the exact numbers right now. Just give me some back-of-the-envelope calculations.
Bail a company out
MEANING: Help or rescue a company with financial problems.
EXAMPLE: The government decided to bail out the failing bank in order to maintain stability in the economy.
Ballpark figure/estimate
MEANING: A rough estimate or figure.
EXAMPLE: The contractor gave us a ballpark figure for the cost of repairing the new building.
Bang for the buck
MEANING: Value for the money spent.
EXAMPLE: We were able to get a big bang for our buck when we advertised on the Internet.
Banker’s hours
MEANING: Short work hours.
EXAMPLE: My sister’s husband owns his own company and is able to work banker’s hours with his large staff.
Bean-counter
MEANING: An accountant.
EXAMPLE: We asked the bean-counters to look over the figures in the new budget.
Belt-tightening
MEANING: Reduction of expenses.
EXAMPLE: When worldwide demand for software decreased, Microsoft had to do some belt-tightening.
Big gun/cheese/wheel/wig
MEANING: An important person, a leader.
EXAMPLE: The new director was a big wheel in his previous company but is not so important now.
Bite the bullet
MEANING: To make a difficult or painful decision; to take a difficult step.
EXAMPLE: When demand was down, U.S. automakers had to bite the bullet and cut jobs.
Bitter pill to swallow
MEANING: Bad news; something unpleasant to accept.
EXAMPLE: After Gina spent her whole summer working as an intern for American Express, failing to get a full-time job offer from the company was a bitter pill to swallow.
Blockbuster
MEANING: A big success; a huge hit.
EXAMPLE: Eli Lilly made a lot of money with the prescription drug, Prozac. It was a real blockbuster.
Board of directors
MEANING: The group of people who shareholders choose to manage a company or organization.
EXAMPLE: She currently serves on Prudential's board of directors.
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Bottom fall out/drop out
MEANING: To fall below an earlier lowest price.
EXAMPLE: When the bottom fell out of the coffee market, many companies had to stop doing business.
Bottom line
MEANING: The total, the final figure on a balance sheet.
EXAMPLE: When they examined the bottom line of the company, they decided not to invest in it.
Bottom out
MEANING: Reach the lowest or worst point of something.
EXAMPLE: The value of the stock has begun to bottom out and should soon begin to increase in value.
Business as usual
MEANING: After an unpleasant or unexpected event, this expression means that everything is continuing in a normal way in spite of the difficulties.
EXAMPLE: It was business as usual at the supermarket the day after the robbery.
Boys/men in the backroom
MEANING: A group of men making decisions behind the scenes.
EXAMPLE: The boys in the backroom told us that we must close down the factory as soon as possible.
Break even
MEANING: Have expenses equal to profits.
EXAMPLE: After only three months, the company was able to break even and start making profits.
Budget squeeze/crunch
MEANING: A situation where there is not enough money in the budget.
EXAMPLE: We have been going through a severe budget squeeze at our company and must begin to stop spending money in a wasteful manner.
Business is business
MEANING: A way of saying that in financial and commercial matters, friendship or personal feelings should not be allowed to have any influence.
EXAMPLE: I'll hire your brother only if he is the best candidate. I'm sorry, but business is business!
Buy off
MEANING: Use a gift or money to divert someone from their duty or purpose.
EXAMPLE: The land developer tried to buy off the politician but he was not successful.
Buy out
MEANING: Buy the ownership or a decisive share of something.
EXAMPLE: The company was bought out by another large company in the textile industry.
By a long shot
MEANING: By a big difference, by far.
EXAMPLE: The soap company was able to beat out the bids of the other companies by a long shot.
Calculated risk
MEANING: An action that may fail but has a good chance to succeed.
EXAMPLE: They took a calculated risk when they introduced the new computer screen onto the market.
Compare apples to oranges
MEANING: To compare two unlike things; to make an invalid comparison.
EXAMPLE: Comparing a night at EconoLodge with a night at the Four Seasons is like comparing apples to oranges. One is a budget motel, and the other is a luxury hotel.
Cash in on
MEANING: To make money on; to benefit financially from.
EXAMPLE: Jamie Smith, star of the TV show The Naked Chef, cashed in on his popularity by writing cookbooks and opening restaurants.
Captain of industry
MEANING: A top corporation officer.
EXAMPLE: The president of our company was a captain of industry and after he retired he was appointed to many government boards.
Carry over
MEANING: Save for another time.
EXAMPLE: We were forced to carry over the sale to the Monday after the national holiday.
Carry the day
MEANING: Win completely.
EXAMPLE: The president’s new idea carried the day and everyone supported him energetically.
Carry through
MEANING: Put into action.
EXAMPLE: The steel company carried through their plan to restructure all of their operations.
Climb the corporate ladder
MEANING: Advance in one's career; the process of getting promoted and making it to senior management.
EXAMPLE: You want to climb the corporate ladder? It helps to be productive and to look good in front of your boss.
Crunch time
MEANING: A short period when there's high pressure to achieve a result.
EXAMPLE: It's crunch time for stem cell researchers in Korea. New government regulations may soon make their work illegal.
Cash cow
MEANING: A product, service, or business division that generates a lot of cash for the company, without requiring much investment.
EXAMPLE: With strong sales every year and a great brand name, Mercedes is a cash cow for DaimlerChrysler.
Close out
MEANING: Sell the whole of something, sell all the goods.
EXAMPLE: They decided to close out the store and sell all of the remaining stock very cheap.
Cog in the machine
MEANING: If you say that someone is a cog in the machine, you think they are necessarily delaying a decision which is important to you.
EXAMPLE: Don’t drag your feet. Get serious and get it done.
Close the books
MEANING: Stop taking orders, end a bookkeeping period.
EXAMPLE: They usually close the books at the end of February every year.
Cold calls
MEANING: Call a potential customer from a list of persons one has never seen.
EXAMPLE: When he first started to work at his company, he was asked to make cold calls using the telephone book.
Corporate ladder
MEANING: The order of position or title in a corporation.
EXAMPLE: Adam is really working her way up the corporate ladder. At just 30, he's already a marketing director at Procter & Gamble.
Come on strong
MEANING: Overwhelm with excessively strong language or personality.
EXAMPLE: The salesman came on too strong at the meeting and angered the other members of the team.
Company man
MEANING: A person who always works hard and agrees with his employees.
EXAMPLE: My father was a true company man and was always putting in an extra effort for his company.
Crunch numbers
MEANING: To perform financial calculations (often complex ones, or for a long period of time).
EXAMPLE: Joe quit his job as a financial analyst at Donox. He was tired of crunching numbers all day.
Cut back
MEANING: Use fewer or use less.
EXAMPLE: The company has been cutting back on entertainment expenses for over a year now.
These are the idioms from your list along with sentences as examples.
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ChatGPT
Certainly! Here are more idioms from your list with sentences as examples:
Cut corners
MEANING: Economize.
EXAMPLE: We have been forced to economize on stationary expenses during these severe economic times.
Cut off
MEANING: Interrupt or stop.
EXAMPLE: The speech of the president was cut off when the electricity went off in the building.
Cut one’s losses
MEANING: Do something to stop losing money or something.
EXAMPLE: We should sell the old machinery as soon as possible and try to cut our losses.
Deliver the goods
MEANING: Succeed in doing well what is expected.
EXAMPLE: The new owner of the company is not very popular, but he is able to deliver the goods.
Double-check
MEANING: Check something again to confirm.
EXAMPLE: We were unable to double-check the costs of the new products before the price list was printed.
Dog-eat-dog world
MEANING: A cruel and aggressive world in which people just look out for themselves.
EXAMPLE: Your company fired you shortly after you had a heart attack? Well, it's certainly a dog-eat-dog world!
Doom and gloom
MEANING: A general atmosphere of pessimism, and a feeling that the situation is not going to improve.
EXAMPLE: Fortunately, it's not doom and gloom for all businesses, in spite of the pandemic.
Downsize (v.)
MEANING: Make a company or organization smaller by eliminating staff positions.
EXAMPLE: The recession forced many companies to downsize.
Drag one's feet
MEANING: If you say that a person is dragging their feet, you think they are unnecessarily delaying a decision which is important to you.
EXAMPLE: Don’t drag your feet. Get serious and get it done.
Drum up business
MEANING: To create business; to find new customers.
EXAMPLE: Sales have been very slow lately. Do you have any ideas for drumming up business?
Drastic times call for drastic measures
MEANING: When faced with a difficult situation, it is sometimes necessary to take actions which in normal circumstances would appear extreme.
EXAMPLE: Sales dropped so significantly that the company decided to drop the product line. Drastic times call for drastic measures!
Earnings per share (EPS)
MEANING: A traditional method used for determining corporate value and widely used to measure company’s stock performance.
EXAMPLE: The broker compares the value of different companies using the EPS before recommending a trade to any of his clients.
E-Commerce (n.)
MEANING: Commercial transactions conducted electronically on the Internet.
EXAMPLE: The advent of e-commerce has allowed people and companies to open shops and reach more customers.
End user
MEANING: Users of the product or service.
EXAMPLE: Engineers should be able to write things most end users can understand.
Entrepreneur
MEANING: Someone who starts their own business, especially when this involves seeing a new opportunity.
EXAMPLE: He was one of the entrepreneurs of the '60s who made their money in property.
Face value
MEANING: The official worth or trust of something.
EXAMPLE: Although the face value of the postage stamp was very low, it sold at the auction for much money.
Fast track a project
MEANING: To make a project a high priority; to speed up the time frame of a project.
EXAMPLE: Let's fast track this project. We've heard rumors that our competitors are developing similar products.
Face the music
MEANING: To admit that there's a problem; to deal with an unpleasant situation realistically.
EXAMPLE: Enron executives finally had to face the music and admit that they were involved in some illegal activities.
Fair play
MEANING: Justice, equal and right action to someone.
EXAMPLE: The company is very good to work for as they always use fair play when they are bargaining with their employees.
Figure out
MEANING: Find an answer by thinking about something.
EXAMPLE: Everyone in our company is trying to figure out what our boss is going to do with the new equipment.
Fill the bill
MEANING: Be just what is needed.
EXAMPLE: That new machine should fill the bill as to what we need to finish the job.
Finger in the pie
MEANING: Involved in what is happening, receiving money for something.
EXAMPLE: The new manager has his finger in the pie in all aspects of our company’s business.
Gain ground
MEANING: Go forward, make progress.
EXAMPLE: Our company has been gaining ground in our attempt to be the best in the industry.
Generate lots of buzz
MEANING: To cause many people to start talking about a product or service, usually in a positive way that increases sales.
EXAMPLE: Procter & Gamble generated lots of buzz
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Get the hang of something
MEANING: When you get the hang of an activity, you now know how to do it correctly.
EXAMPLE: I’ll teach you how to use the design program – you’ll get the hang of it after a while.
Get a break
MEANING: Get an opportunity or good deal.
EXAMPLE: We were able to get a break on the price of the paint and saved a lot of money.
Get off the ground
MEANING: Make a successful beginning, go ahead.
EXAMPLE: We were unable to get the new product off the ground and will have to wait until next year.
Give someone the green light
MEANING: Give permission to go ahead with a project.
EXAMPLE: Our boss gave us the green light to begin work on the new sales promotion.
Golden opportunity
MEANING: A golden opportunity is a favorable time or excellent occasion which should not be missed.
EXAMPLE: Don’t miss this golden opportunity.
Go out of business
MEANING: If a shop, firm, or enterprise goes out of business, it closes down or goes bankrupt.
EXAMPLE: If the new road bypasses the town, a lot of shops will go out of business.
Go public
MEANING: Sell shares of a privately owned company to the public.
EXAMPLE: The stock of the Internet company rose very quickly when they went public.
Go through with
MEANING: Finish, do as planned or agreed.
EXAMPLE: We have decided not to go through with our plans to launch the new product until we have solved all of its problems.
Golden handshake
MEANING: A golden handshake is a generous sum of money given to a person when they leave a company or retire (sometimes given to encourage early retirement).
EXAMPLE: This golden handshake was separate from the salary that they had been paid while working in the firm.
Hard sell
MEANING: Sell something by being very aggressive.
EXAMPLE: The car salesman gave us a hard sell, so we decided to go to another dealer.
Headquarters
MEANING: The main offices of an organization such as the army, the police, or a business company.
EXAMPLE: Are you moving the headquarters again?
Have a lot on one's plate
MEANING: To have a lot to do; to have too much to do; to have too much to cope with.
EXAMPLE: Carlos turned down the project, explaining that he already had a lot on his plate.
Heads will roll
MEANING: Someone will be punished.
EXAMPLE: Heads will roll when our boss learns about the money that we have lost recently.
Hive of activity
MEANING: Hive of activity (also: a beehive) refers to a place where there are lots of things happening, and everyone is very busy.
EXAMPLE: When I arrived at the office, it was already a hive of activity.
These are the remaining idioms from your list. If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask!
I
in black and white
MEANING: in writing
EXAMPLE: The company refused to deal with the customer’s complaints until they saw them in black and white.
In the doldrums
MEANING: o say that a person, a business or the economy in general is in the doldrums means that the situation is gloomy and that nothing new is happening.
EXAMPLE: Despite the recent measures, the economy remains in the doldrums.
in charge of
MEANING: in control of, responsible for
EXAMPLE: My sister has been in charge of buying supplies at her company for many years.
in short supply
MEANING: not enough, in less than the amount or number needed
EXAMPLE: Experienced computer programmers are in short supply at our company.
in stock
MEANING: have something ready to sell or use
EXAMPLE: They didn’t have any computer printer ribbons in stock at the store.
in the black
MEANING: successful or making money
EXAMPLE: The new company has been in the black for over a year now.
in the long run
MEANING: in the final result
EXAMPLE: The company has been losing money recently but in the long run they should do very well.
In the market for
MEANING: ready to buy something
EXAMPLE: We have been in the market for a new computer for a long time but still we haven’t bought one.
in the red
MEANING: losing money, unprofitable
EXAMPLE: The company began to go into the red when the price of oil began to rise rapidly.
in the works
MEANING: in preparation, being planned or worked on
EXAMPLE: The camera company has a new automatic camera in the works but nobody knows about it yet.
Inventory
MEANING: a detailed list of all the things in a place:
A set of 24 gilded chairs appear on the inventory of the house for 1736.
EXAMPLE: The store is closed while we’re taking inventory (= counting and listing all the goods).
J
jack up
MEANING: make a price higher
EXAMPLE: The steel companies decided to jack up the price of steel at the beginning of the year.
(to) jump the gun
MEANING: to start doing something too soon or ahead of everybody else
EXAMPLE: The company jumped the gun by releasing a new product before the results of the consumer testing were in.
K
keep books
MEANING: keep records of money gained and spent
EXAMPLE: The new assistant to the sales manager has no experience keeping books and has made many mistakes.
(to) keep one's eye on the prize
MEANING: to stay focused on the end result; to not let small problems get in the way of good results
EXAMPLE: I know it's difficult going to class after work, but just keep your eye on the prize. At the end of next year, you'll have your MBA.
keep track of
MEANING: keep a count or record, stay informed
EXAMPLE: They have been making a great effort to keep track of the number of visitors to their store.
kickback
MEANING: money paid illegally for favourable treatment
EXAMPLE: The construction company was taken to court for giving kickbacks to the local politicians.
L
Loan
MEANING: a thing that is borrowed, especially a sum of money that is expected to be paid back with interest.
EXAMPLE: They say that each borrower can take out a loan for $4,000.
M
make a go of
MEANING: produce good results, succeed
EXAMPLE: Although he works very hard in his small business he has been unable to make a go of it and may soon go out of business.
Margin
MEANING: the profit made on a product or service
EXAMPLE: Our increased profits are due to improved margins and successful cost control.
mean business
MEANING: be serious
EXAMPLE: Our boss means business when he tells everyone to try and work harder.
Monkey business (Idiom)
MEANING: An activity which is organized in a deceitful or dishonest way is called monkey business.
EXAMPLE: The results announced seem suspicious - I think there's some monkey business going on.
my gut tells me
MEANING: I have a strong feeling that; my intuition tells me
EXAMPLE: t's true that I don't know him well, but my gut tells me that James is the right person for the sales director position.
N
number-cruncher
MEANING: an accountant, someone who works with numbers
EXAMPLE: Our president is a good number-cruncher and understands about the finances of our company.
mum's the word
MEANING: Keep quiet about something. Tell no one about it.
EXAMPLE: Please don't tell anybody about our new project. Remember: mum's the word!
Nuts and bolts
MEANING: The nuts and bolts of something are the detailed facts and the practical aspects.
EXAMPLE: We need to discuss the nuts and bolts of the proposal before going any further.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained
MEANING: This expression means that you cannot expect to achieve anything if you risk nothing.
EXAMPLE: He's going to ask his boss for a promotion even though he has done nothing. You can't expect to achieve anything if you never take any risks.
O
on hand
MEANING: in one’s possession, ready
EXAMPLE: We didn’t have any supplies on hand and were unable to finish the job.
on credit
MEANING: buy something without paying cash
EXAMPLE: My friend had no money so he decided to buy the furniture on credit.
Overhead
MEANING: the regular and necessary costs, such as rent and heating, that are involved in operating a business:
EXAMPLE: We need to reduce our overheads.
on the block
MEANING: for sale
EXAMPLE: As soon as they purchased the company they began to put some of the equipment on the block.
P
pay off (v.)
MEANING: make a profit, be successful
EXAMPLE: The furniture manufacturer was unable to pay off their loan and had to go out of business.
(to) pass the buck
MEANING: to shift the blame; to blame somebody else
EXAMPLE: It's your fault. Don't try to pass the buck!
Personnel (n.)
MEANING: the people who are employed in a company, organization, or one of the armed forces:
EXAMPLE: The new director is likely to make major changes in personnel.
piece/slice of the action
MEANING: a share in the activity or the profits of something
EXAMPLE: The inventor wanted a large piece of the action of the profits from the new computer that he had invented.
(to) pull one's weight
MEANING: to do one's share of the work
EXAMPLE: Don't rely on others to get your job done. You need to pull your own weight.
Play the game
MEANING: If you play the game, you accept to do things according to the rules laid down by others.
EXAMPLE: Working here successfully means that you know how to play the game, in addition to having necessary technical skills, of course.
prospective employees
MEANING: any person who has made application to an employer, whether written or oral, to become an employee
EXAMPLE: A prospective employee is someone who is not yet an employee, but wants to be.
(to) pull the plug
MEANING: To put a stop to a project or initiative, usually because it's not going well; to stop something from moving forward; to discontinue
EXAMPLE: After losing millions of dollars drilling for oil in the gulf and finding nothing, the oil company finally pulled the plug on its exploration project.
Q
Qualify (v.)
MEANING: be entitled to a particular benefit or privilege by fulfilling a necessary condition.
EXAMPLE: Do I qualify as an accountant?
• Your purchase did not qualify for a discount.
They do not qualify for compensation payments.
Quotation
MEANING: a formal statement setting out the estimated cost for a particular job or service
EXAMPLE: The quotation is higher than
expected.
R
R & D
MEANING: Research and development
EXAMPLE: If we want to get ahead of our competitors, we ought to invest more in R and D.
rein in
MEANING: to control; to cut back on
EXAMPLE: Our marketing budget has gotten too large. We need to rein in ad spending.
reality check
MEANING: Think realistically about this situation
EXAMPLE: You think we can start selling our products through our website next month? Time for a reality check! Nobody at our company knows anything about e-commerce.
red ink
MEANING: debt (red ink on a financial statement)
EXAMPLE: The automobile company has been drowning in red ink since the US dollar began to rise.
run short
MEANING: not have enough in quantity
EXAMPLE: They ran short of gasoline at the gas station and had to close early.
S
saddled with debt
MEANING: burdened with debt
EXAMPLE: Our sister company is saddled with a great amount of debt and should be sold as soon as possible.
Sales force
MEANING: all the employees of a company whose job is persuading customers to buy their company's products or services
EXAMPLE: It is impossible to manage a sales force without a tight control over the sales force turnover rate.
(to) scale back one's hours
MEANING: to reduce the number of hours one works
EXAMPLE: When Christine had a baby, she decided to scale back her hours and just work part-time. Synonym: to cut back one's hours
sell like hotcakes
MEANING: sell very quickly
EXAMPLE: The children’s toys were selling like hotcakes at the end of the year.
sell out
MEANING: sell all of a product
EXAMPLE:
Every year at least one company sells out all of their products which frustrates many customers.
Shape up or ship out!
MEANING: improve your behavior or leave; if you don't improve your performance, you're going to get fired
EXAMPLE: Martin finally had enough of Todd's negative attitude. "Shape up or ship out!" he told Todd.
Sleeping /silent partner
MEANING: This term refers to a person who invests money in a business without taking an active part in its management, and whose association with the enterprise is not public knowledge.
EXAMPLE: He works alone, but his business is partly financed by a sleeping partner.
Slice/share of the cake (or pie)
MEANING: When people feel entitled to a share of the benefits or profits, they want a (larger) slice of the cake.
EXAMPLE: Since profits are higher this year, the workers feel they deserve a bigger slice of the cake.
strike while the iron is hot
MEANING: take advantage of an opportunity
EXAMPLE: We decided to strike while the iron was hot and began to market the product around the time of the Olympics.
sweetheart deal
MEANING: a deal made between friends so that both may make a big profit
EXAMPLE: We were able to make a sweetheart deal with our landlord and got the rent greatly reduced.
T
take a nosedive
MEANING: collapse, fail, decrease in value
EXAMPLE: The stock market took a nosedive when the earnings of the oil company began to weaken.
take on
MEANING: to give a job to or hire someone
EXAMPLE: The company took on many new workers during the busy holiday season.
take over
MEANING: take control or possession of something, take charge or responsibility
EXAMPLE: The government decided to take over the bank after it declared bankruptcy.
take public
MEANING: sell shares in a company to the general public
EXAMPLE: We decided it was necessary to take our company public in order to raise money to expand our facilities.
take stock
MEANING: count the items of merchandise or supplies in stock, take inventory
EXAMPLE: The department store closes down for 3 days every March in order to take stock.
Take the plunge
MEANING: If you take the plunge, you finally decide to venture into something you really want to do, in spite of the risks involved.
EXAMPLE: Mark and Julie finally took the plunge and opened a guesthouse.
Take the floor
MEANING: When someone takes the floor, they rise to make a speech or presentation.
EXAMPLE: When I take the floor, my speech will be short." he said.
to tap into
MEANING: to connect with; to get in touch with; to use as a resource for your own benefit
EXAMPLE: If you're looking for a job, experts say the best way is to tap into your personal network.
throw cold water on
MEANING: discourage, forbid
EXAMPLE: The managers threw cold water on the plans to close down the factory for one week in August.
though the roof
MEANING: very high; higher than expected
EXAMPLE: No wonder people are complaining about the cost of heating their homes. Oil prices have gone through the roof!
throw money at something
MEANING: try to solve a problem by spending money on it
EXAMPLE: The president of our company is willing to throw a lot of money at the problem in the hope of solving it.
tight spot
MEANING: a difficult situation
EXAMPLE: The computer manufacturing company has been in a tight spot since the shortage of computer chips appeared.
Trade secret
MEANING: This expression, which refers to the secrecy of a company's production methods, is often used teasingly.
EXAMPLE: "Can you give me the recipe for your lemon meringue pie? No way -that's a trade secret!"
turn over
MEANING: to buy and then sell something to customers
EXAMPLE: The turn-over at that discount store is very rapid.
U
Underemployed
MEANING: (of a person) not having enough paid work or not doing work that makes full use of their skills and abilities / Employed at a low-paying job that requires less skill or training than one possesses.
EXAMPLE: Most migrants are likely to be poor and underemployed.
Unemployment compensation (n.)
MEANING: Payment made by a government agency to workers who lose their jobs.
EXAMPLE: You are entitled to receive some unemployment compensation.
(The) upper hand
MEANING: If a person or organization gets or gains the upper hand, they take control over something.
EXAMPLE: Our competitors have gained the upper hand.
Up and running
MEANING: If a business or a plan is up and running, it has started and is functioning successfully.
EXAMPLE: In some countries you can have a company up and running in a very short time.
V
Value added (n.)
MEANING: The process of enhancing a basic product or service
EXAMPLE: We need to provide value added to our existing customers.
W
Wear many hats
MEANING: Someone who wears many hats has to do many different types of tasks or play a variety of roles.
EXAMPLE: Our company is small so the employees need to be flexible and accept to wear many hats.
Win-win
MEANING: The term win-win refers to a situation or proposition where both or all parties benefit from the outcome.
EXAMPLE: There were smiles all round when the contract was signed - it was a win-win situation.
work out
MEANING: plan, develop
EXAMPLE: I spent the weekend trying to work out the budget estimates for next year.
Working hours
MEANING: the amount of time someone spends at work during a day:
EXAMPLE: We need flexible/extended/reduced working hours
write off
MEANING: remove from a business record, cancel a debt
EXAMPLE: It was impossible for the bank to collect the money so they were forced to write off the loan.
X
X
MEANING: An unknown or unnamed factor, thing, or person.
EXAMPLE: We have spent X number of dollars…
Y
Year-to-Date (YTD)
MEANING: Year to date (YTD) refers to the period of time beginning the first day of the current calendar year or fiscal year up to the current date.
EXAMPLE: For the year to date, sales have fallen by 15.4%.
Yield
MEANING: The rate of return on an investment / an amount of something positive, such as food or profit, that is produced or supplied
EXAMPLE: Although the 3% yield was not very good, it was better than other companies.
Yes man
MEANING: An employee who always agrees with the boss or does whatever the boss says
EXAMPLE: Don't expect Larry to argue with the boss. He's a yes man.
Z
Zombie firms
MEANING: firms that are unable to cover debt servicing costs from current profits over an extended period
EXAMPLE: The current pandemic has resulted in more zombie forms in the market.
Zoning (adjective)
MEANING: the act of deciding, or the decision that has been taken about, what particular use an area should have
EXAMPLE: The town’s new zoning establishes a height limit of nine stories on any new building.
London has strict zoning laws to preserve neighborhoods.