Whitmell Clare. - 505 Business English Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

505 Business Idioms and Phrasal Verbs By Clare Whitmell 2015 Clare Whitmell, All rights reserved Introduction Read the business news, or take part in a business conversation, and you'll come across lots of expressions and idioms that make the subject more vivid and descriptive. Expressions like "flood the market" or "a big cheese" give us strong mental images. But it can be difficult to understand the precise meaning of some other expressions - especially if English isn't your first language. For example, phrasal verbs (such as "drag on", "pick up" or "lay off") don't have clues that help with understanding. English is a versatile language, allowing us to invent new expressions or re-use old ones to describe current events, ideas or breakthroughs. We had "credit crunch" a few years ago, and now that's been joined by "fiscal cliff", "ring-fencing" and "double-dip recessions".

Of course, some older expressions are still in use. Many of these illustrate our view of business. There are lots of idioms to do with water perhaps reflecting a history of seafaring trade: "big fish in a small pond", "on an even keel", and "going down the pan". Others refer to the characteristics we give certain animals, such as "dog-eat-dog", "cash cow", "fat cats" and "donkey work". Then there are idioms using parts of the body; "cost an arm and a leg", "to be the brains behind something", and "to pay lip service". Because these expressions are used so frequently in spoken English, understanding how to use them will help you sound natural as well as well-informed.

This ebook contains 505 essential business idioms and phrasal verbs in current use, listed in alphabetical order. They're also indexed into different themes at the end, so you can see others in the same category. Business Idioms A - Z about time (too) = to finally do something "They've finally appointed a new chairman, and it's about time too." above board = legal "The tax loophole is all above board." across the board = including everyone or everything "The pay increases will be applied across the board." all in a day's work = a task that falls into normal daily work routines "Dealing with emergencies is all in a day's work." (all) par for the course = normal, to be expected "Delays of up to six months are par for the course." at loggerheads = to disagree strongly with someone "The two managers were at loggerheads over the expansion plans." at the helm = in charge (also "take the helm") "He decided to step down after 20 years at the helm of the company he'd founded." back down = withdraw your demands in a negotiation, or accept you've lost the argument "The union says that if we don't back down on our demands, they'll call a strike." backlash = a negative consequence or reaction after an action or event "If we make further losses, we risk a backlash from our investors." (Also, "a backlash against" something.) backroom boys = people whose work is important but who don't get much recognition "The backroom boys in the R&D department are essential to our innovation strategy." backtrack / backpedal = change your opinion or decision on something, often to dilute it or "water it down" "The government is backtracking on its proposals to increase inheritance tax." (be) bailed out = given money to survive (a bailout) "Will Spain be the next Eurozone country to require a bailout?" ball park figure / estimate = an approximate amount "Can you give me a ball park figure for the amount of tax we'll have to pay this year?" (get) bang for your buck = get value for money "I'm concerned we aren't getting much bang for our buck with these investments." (be a) barometer = a barometer is an instrument measuring changes in air pressure. Used as a business idiom, it means something that shows changes in market conditions, etc. "The inflation rate is a useful barometer of the government's economic policies." be loaded = be very rich "Ask Daniel for a loan. He's loaded." be on fighting form = to be in good (economic) shape "After the merger, the new company was on fighting form." be on to a winner = do something which will probably be successful "You're onto a winner with that website." be / come under fire = be attacked or criticised "The Sales Manager has come under fire for his average performance." bean-counter = an accountant "If you need to know the exact figures, go and ask the bean-counters." bear fruit = lead to the result you expected "We're hoping that our efforts will bear fruit." bear the brunt = have to face the worst part of something "Consumers will bear the brunt of the increase in sales tax." beat around the bush = not get to the point "Don't beat around the bush.

How much have we lost, exactly?" bedrock = the foundations "The bedrock of the company's wealth is its property holdings in central London." beer money = a small extra income for going out, etc "He earns a little beer money from his weekend stall." behind closed doors = secret, not in public "The deal was done behind closed doors." behind the scenes = something happening in secret while other things are visible "Behind the scenes, both the unions and the management are trying to find a compromise." belt-tightening = reducing expenses "The company's going through a period of belt-tightening, which means we have less to spend on marketing." between a rock and a hard place = to be in a difficult position, with no obvious solutions "We're between a rock and a hard place. If we stay in the market, we risk making a loss, but if we leave, we'll lose our investment." big boys = major players in a market "The company are the big boys in academic publishing." big cheese / shot / wig = an important person "Jake is a big cheese in the video gaming industry." big fish in a small pond = a person / company with influence in a small sector or sphere "He's a big fish in a small pond. You should get to know him." bite the bullet - to make a tough decision "We're going to have to bite the bullet and lay off a few people if we're going to survive." bite / hold your tongue = to hold back from saying what you want "I was sitting in that meeting biting my tongue." black hole = a large gap "The new government has found a black hole in its finances." blank cheque (Br Eng) blank check (US spelling) = to give someone complete control over something "He's got a blank cheque to restructure the whole section." bomb (to bomb) = to fail "The new product bombed." boom time = a time of great prosperity "It's boom time for house-owners right now, who are seeing the value of their properties soar." bottleneck = delay or blockage (especially for credit, investment or procedures) "Production problems have caused a bottleneck in order fulfilment." "Strict credit terms are creating a bottleneck in business financing." bottom line = the final figure on the balance sheet / overall success or impact "Cutting costs would help us improve our bottom line." "What impact does this role have on the bottom line?" bottom out = reach the lowest point "Experts believe that the housing market hasn't bottomed out yet." bounce back = recover from earlier losses or problems "The company has bounced back after its first quarter losses." brains behind (to be the brains behind) = the person who invented / managed a plan or strategy "Steve is the brains behind our growth strategy." break even = to be at a point where you make neither a profit nor a loss "We hope to break even this year." (Also 'break-even point'.) break the bank = be too expensive to buy "We can't afford a leasehold in central London. It would break the bank." bricks and mortar = house or shop as a physical asset or investment "If you want a safe investment, choose bricks and mortar." bring something to its knees (be brought to its knees) = drive a company to the brink of collapse "The recession has brought the company to its knees." brush aside = refuse to listen to criticisms, complaints, suggestions etc "The management team brushed aside customer complaints." bubble (burst the bubble) = successful period of time or activity "The dotcom bubble was bound to burst eventually." (a) bumpy ride = experiencing a lot of problems "The manufacturing sector experienced a bumpy ride in the first quarter." burn your bridges = leave a company on such bad terms that you will never be rehired "Write a nice resignation letter so that you don't burn your bridges." business as usual = normal business conditions which have resumed "It's business as usual after floods last week closed the entire town." buy out (buyout) = buy someone's share of the business to gain complete control "News of the management buyout increased share value by almost 5%." buzz word = a word used a lot at the moment, or in a particular industry / sector "The buzzword this month is 'pay it forward'." call time on = end "The company has called time on its incentives system." carry weight = (of words, opinions etc) be influential, have authority "His opinion that the economy will pick up carries some weight with company investors." carve out a niche = concentrate on one sector or sub-sector "He's carved himself out a niche as a WordPress developer." cash cow = a product or service that makes a lot of money (often because the initial costs have been covered) "Their series of grammar books is a cash cow." cash in on = gain financial rewards "If we can cash in on the popularity of ebooks, we could make some money." cash-starved = lacking cash / money "The cash-starved economy means fewer jobs are being created." cash-strapped = not having money available "The government is helping cash-strapped families by increasing tax benefits." casino banking = speculative or risky financial activities "The government is considering ring-fencing 'casino-style' investment banking from the more traditional retail arms." cause a stir = make people talk about something (because they're surprised or angry) "The news of his appointment has caused a stir." churn rate = rate at which you win and lose customers (or employees) "We need to reduce our customer churn rate." clamp down on / crack down on = enforce penalties against an illegal activity (a clampdown / a crackdown) "The government is clamping down on tax evasion." claw back / a claw-back = take back / recover (money already paid / market share etc) "Shareholder pay and bonuses will have claw-back provisions." clear a debt / loan = pay off "We've finally cleared these debts, so now we can start investing again." clear the air = do something to end an argument "Well, that meeting definitely cleared the air. Now I hope everyone can stop arguing." climb the corporate / career ladder = get promoted into better jobs "He spent thirty years climbing the corporate ladder, and now he's CEO." clinch / cut / reach / seal a deal = get a deal "They clinched the deal late last night after hours of negotiation." close a loophole = end a (legal) practice that results in an anomaly "The government has closed a loophole that allowed millions of second-home owners to pay less tax." cog in the machine / wheel = someone who only has a small job in a business "I can't help you get a job here. I'm only a small cog in the wheel." cold call = make a sales call to someone you've never met or spoken to before "Telesales usually involves a lot of cold-calling." company man = someone who's loyal to the company "John's a real company man.