Bilingua Jezikovni Center 100 USEFUL BUSINESS ENGLISH EXPRESSIONS
Bilingua Jezikovni Center100 USEFUL BUSINESSENGLISH EXPRESSIONS
a tough breakWhen something unfortunate happens, it can becalled a "tough break."It was a tough break for us when Caroline quit. Shewas one of our top performers.
ahead of the curveTo be "ahead of the curve" means to be moreadvanced than the competition.We're investing a lot of money in research anddevelopment so we can stay ahead of the curve.
ahead of the packTo be "ahead of the pack" means to be better ormore successful than the competition.If we want to stay ahead of the pack, we're going tohave to work hard and continue to innovate.
at stake"At stake" means at risk.I'm a little nervous about giving this presentation.There's a lot at stake.
back to square oneTo go "back to square one" means to startsomething over again.Our programmers identified what they thought theproblem was with the software. After working forseveral hours, it turns out that the problem issomething different. We're back to square one,unfortunately.
back to the drawing boardTo go "back to the drawing board" means to startsomething over and go back to the planning stage.The prototype wasn't successful. We have to goback to the drawing board.
backroom dealA "backroom deal" is an agreement or decision thatis made without the public knowing about it.I think they got the government contract because ofa backroom deal.
ballpark number/figureA "ballpark number" is a very inexact estimate.I'm not sure what a Super Bowl commercial costs,but to give you a ballpark figure I'd say about threemillion dollars.
behind the scenesWhat happens in secret or not in front of thegeneral public is said to happen "behind thescenes."They make it look so effortless, but they do a lot ofhard work and planning behind the scenes.
big pictureEverything that is involved with a particularsituation is called "the big picture."Even though we all have very specific tasks to do,our manager makes sure we don't lose sight of thebig picture.
blue collarA "blue collar worker" is someone who works withhis hands (manufacturing, construction,maintenance, etc.).The opposite is a "white collar worker." A whitecollar worker is someone who works in an office(customer service, management, sales, etc.). "Bluecollar" (and "white collar") can also be used todescribe a job, position, or a place. It's a blue collartown with a lot of farmers and factory workers.
by the bookTo do things "by the book" means to do thingsaccording to company policy or the law.It means to follow the rules 100%. We are regularlyaudited by several regulatory agencies. It'simportant that we do everything by the book.
call it a dayTo "call it a day" means to decide to stop workingfor the day.Well, John, it's 7:00 and I'm getting hungry. Howabout we call it a day?
catch someone off guardTo "catch someone off guard" means to surprisesomeone by doing something that he or she wasnot expecting.Mike was caught off guard when they asked him todirect the meeting.
cave (or cave in)To "cave" or "cave in" means to give in or agree tosomething that someone previously did not want toaccept.The employees complained about the change inpolicy, but the supervisor refused to cave in.
change of pace"A change of pace" is something different from anormal routine or schedule.It's nice to go on business trips because it's achange of pace.
come up shortTo "come up short" means to try to achievesomething but fail. We often say that someone has"come up short" when someone fails to achieve agoal, but not completely.The charity fund raiser was supposed to raise threemillion dollars, but we came up short.
corner a marketTo "corner a market" means to dominate aparticular market.Apple has cornered the market on mp3 players.They have a large percentage of market share.
cut cornersTo "cut corners" means to take shortcuts and findan easier or cheaper way to do something.We don't cut corners on our luxury products.
cut one's lossesTo "cut one's losses" means to stop doingsomething that is unproductive and won't evergenerate results.Our advertising campaign was expensive and notshowing results, so we cut our losses.
cut-throat"Cut-throat" is used to describe something that isvery intense, aggressive, and merciless.In business school, the competition was cut-throat.
diamond in the roughA "diamond in the rough" is something or someonethat has a lot of potential but first requires a lot ofwork.He was a diamond in the rough. He was intelligentand had great ideas, but his management andEnglish skills weren't very good.
easy come, easy go"Easy come, easy go," is an expression used tocommunicate that something gained easily is alsolost easily. We often use this expression aftersomething has been lost.A lot of people who inherit money waste it on stupidthings. I guess it's easy come, easy go.
from the ground upIf you start a business, project, or something elsefrom zero, you start it "from the ground up."Bill Gates built Microsoft from the ground up.
game planA "game plan" is a strategy or plan.They're not sure what their game plan is for theupcoming election.
get back in/into the swing of thingsTo "get back in/into the swing of things" means toget used to doing something again after having abreak from that activity.Our company shuts down operations for threeweeks during the holiday season. When I go backto work in January, it's difficult to get back in theswing of things.
get down to businessTo "get down to business" means to stop makingsmall talk and start talking about serious topicsrelated to business.Now that everyone's here, let's get down tobusiness and talk about the proposal.
get something off the groundTo "get something off the ground" means to start aproject or business.We're glad the planning process is over. We'relooking forward to getting the project off the ground.
get the ball rollingTo "get the ball rolling" means to start something (aproject, for example).We need to get the ball rolling on this project. Thedeadline is in June, and it's already April.
get/be on the good side of someoneIf someone likes you, you are "on the good side" ofthat person.I always remember my coworkers' birthdays andget them a card or small gift. I like to get onpeople's good side.
get/have one's foot in the doorTo "get or have one's foot in the door" means totake a low-level position with a company with thegoal of eventually getting a better position with thesame company.My son just took a low-paying internship positionwith a large company. He was happy to get his footin the door at a well-known, respected company.
give someone a pat on the backTo "give someone a pat on the back" means to tellsomeone that they did a good job.The boss gave Brian a pat on the back for comingup with such a good idea.
give the thumbs downTo "give something or someone the thumbs down"means to deny approval.I can't believe she gave us the thumbs down. Ithought it was a great idea. .
give the thumbs upTo "give something or someone the thumbs up"means to give approval.They gave our new proposal the thumbs up. We'regoing out to celebrate tonight.
go brokeTo "go broke" means to go bankrupt or to lose allthe money a person or business had.There was too much competition and theirexpenses were too high. They eventually wentbroke.
go down the drainWhen someone wastes or loses something, it issaid to "go down the drain."He dropped out of college in his third year andnever continued his studies. All of his hard workand money went down the drain.
go the extra mileTo "go the extra mile" means to do more than whatpeople expect.We go the extra mile for our customers. If someoneis dissatisfied with a purchase, we refund theirmoney and offer them a discount on their nextpurchase.
go through the roofIf something is "going through the roof," it means itis rapidly increasing.We're happy our number of Facebook followershas gone through the roof.
gray areaIf something is in a "gray area,” it means that it issomething undefined and not easily categorized.I asked our lawyers if it was legal, and they said itwasn't clear. It's a gray area.
ground-breakingIf something is "ground-breaking," it means it isnew and innovative.The iPhone was a ground-breaking piece oftechnology when it was released in 2008.
hands are tiedSomeone's "hands are tied" if they do not havecontrol over a situation.I would love to get you a job at my company, butmy hands are tied. Management isn't hiring anyadditional employees this year.
have someone's work cut outIf you have a lot of work to do or a particularlydifficult assignment, you "have your work cut out foryou."She has to sell 35,000 worth of products by theend of the month. She has her work cut out for her.
hit the nail on the headTo "hit the nail on the head" means to do or saysomething 100% correctly.I agree with John 100%. I think he really hit the nailon the head.
in a nutshell"In a nutshell" means in a few words.In a nutshell, this book is about how to motivateemployees.
in full swingIf a project is "in full swing," it means that it hasbeen completely started and that it is progressingor moving as fast as it ever will.Construction on the new site is in full swing now.
in the blackIf a company is "in the black," it means that it ismaking a profit.We're not having a great year, but at least we're inthe black.
in the driver's seatTo be "in the driver's seat" means to be in control.I'm not used to being in the driver's seat. I shouldprobably buy some management books.
in the redIf a company is "in the red," it means that is notprofitable and is operating at a loss.When I started my own business, we were in thered for the first two years. We didn't see a profituntil the third year.
keep one's eye on the ballTo "keep one's eye on the ball" means to givesomething one's full attention and to not lose focus.I know we can do it. We just need to keep our eyeson the ball and not lose focus.
last strawThe "last straw" means the last annoyance,disturbance, or betrayal which causes someone togive up, lose their patience, or become angry.Our boss had been unhappy with Brian'sperformance for a while, but it was the last strawwhen he came to work three hours late withoutcalling.
learn the ropesTo "learn the ropes" means to learn the basics ofsomething.I like my new position. I'm starting to learn theropes.
long shotA "long shot" is something that has a very lowprobability of happening.Winning the lottery is a long shot, but millions ofpeople still buy lottery tickets.
loopholeA legal "loophole" occurs if a law is unclear or omitsinformation.This lack of legal clarity allows people orcorporations to pay less in taxes or gain someother advantage. Some people complain thatmillionaires avoid paying taxes by finding loopholesin tax laws.
lose ground (opposite: gain ground)To "lose ground" means to lose some type of anadvantage (market share, for example) to acompetitor.Apple lost some ground to Samsung last quarter.
lose-lose situation (or no-win situation)A "lose-lose situation" is when there will be anegative outcome regardless of what decision ismade.It's a lose-lose situation. If they lay off moreworkers, they'll get bad press. If they don't lay offmore workers, they won't be able to compete.
no brainerIf a decision is really obvious or really easy tomake, the decision is a "no brainer."Taking the new job was a no brainer. They offeredme more money, a better schedule, and morevacation days.
not going to flyIf a solution isn't effective, we can say that it "isn'tgoing to fly."I don't think that's going to fly. Let's keepgenerating ideas.
off the top of one's headIf someone says something "off the top of theirhead," it means that they give a response withoutthinking about it much or doing any research on thesubject.I have no idea how many branches they have. Offthe top of my head, I'd say about 20.
on a rollIf someone is "on a roll," it means that he or shehas had several successes in a row.Our profits have been above our projectednumbers for five months in a row. We're really on aroll.
on the ballTo be "on the ball" means to be alert and aware ofthings.My new personal assistant is working out well. He'sreally on the ball.
on the same pageIf two people are "on the same page," they are inagreement about something.Let's go over the details of what we agreed on tomake sure we're on the same page.
on top of somethingTo be "on top of something" means to be in controlof a situation and aware of changes.I read a lot to stay on top of the latest changes inmy industry.
on your toesTo be "on your toes" means to be alert.Stay on your toes. Anything can happen.
out in the openIf something is "out in the open," it is publicknowledge and not hidden from people.I think it's good to do things out in the openbecause people get suspicious if you do things insecret.
out of the loop (opposite: in the loop)To be "out of the loop" means to not knowsomething that a select group of people knows.The opposite, to be "in the loop," means to be partof a select group with knowledge that others do nothave.I felt like I was out of the loop after being onvacation for two weeks.
pink slipSomeone who gets the "pink slip," has been firedby their employer.They gave him the pink slip. He wasn't performingvery well.
play hardballTo "play hardball" means to be competitive in acruel and merciless way. Playing hardball meansdoing anything possible to win.He played hardball to get where he is, so I wouldbe careful what you say and do around him.
put all one's eggs in one basketTo "put all one's eggs in one basket," means to relyon only one thing to bring success.It's not good to only invest in the stock market. Youdon't want to put all your eggs in one basket.
put the cart before the horseTo "put the cart before the horse" means to do orthink about things in the wrong order.They were trying to find investors without evenhaving a business plan. They were putting the cartbefore the horse.
raise the barTo "raise the bar" means to set the standards orexpectations higher, usually by achieving orcreating something better than what had previouslyexisted.The new software is getting great reviews. It lookslike the bar has been raised for the competition.
read between the linesTo "read between the lines" means to understandsomething that isn't communicated directly.Reading between the lines involves understandingwhat someone is implying or suggesting but notsaying directly.He didn't say that he wants to leave the company,but I can read between the lines. He's not happyhere.
red tape"Red tape" refers to excessive rules, procedures,and regulations that make it difficult to accomplishsomething. We usually use "red tape" to talk aboutgovernment requirements that create difficult, timeconsuming barriers for people and businesses.The new law is going to create a lot of red tape,and we're going to have to pay our lawyers a lotmore money.
rock the boatTo "rock the boat" means to cause problems ordisrupt a peaceful situation.I'd ask for a raise, but I don't want to rock the boat.
round-the-clock"Round the clock" means 24 hours a day.We have round-the-clock production at all ourmanufacturing facilities.
run/go around in circlesTo "run (or go) around in circles" means to do thesame thing over and over again without getting anyresults.Everyone kept restating their opinions but nothingwas agreed on. We were running around in circles.
safe betA "safe bet" means something that will probablyhappen.It's a safe bet that smartphones will be much moreadvanced in 10 years.
same boatIf people are in the same situation, they are in the"same boat."We're all worried about losing our jobs. We're in thesame boat.
second natureWhen someone does something so well that itseems like they were born knowing how to do it, wesay that the activity is "second nature" to thatperson.She's been a computer programmer for ten years.At this point, programming is second nature to her.
see eye to eyeTo "see eye to eye" with someone means to agreewith that person.We don't always see eye to eye, but I respect heropinions and appreciate her honesty.
see something throughTo "see something through" means to dosomething until it is finished.I told my boss that I really wanted to see thisproject through before taking on another project.
sever tiesTo "sever ties" means to end a relationship.We had to sever ties with several of our suppliersdue to late shipments.
shoot something downTo "shoot something down" means to rejectsomething, such as a proposal or idea.
state of the artSomething that is "state of the art" is modern andtechnologically advanced.We have a brand new, state-of-the-art facility.It's best not to shoot down people's ideas during abrainstorming session. The goal is to generateideas, not to criticize them.
smooth/clear sailing"Smooth sailing" is a term used to describe asituation where success is achieved withoutdifficulties.Once our largest competitor went out of business, itwas smooth sailing.
snail mail"Snail mail" is the term used for the traditional mailthat goes through the post office.If you want to fill out form 52-E and send it to thegovernment, you have to do it using snail mail.They don't allow you to scan the document.
stand one's groundTo "stand one's ground" means to not change one'sopinion or position.We tried to change the dress code, but HumanResources stood their ground.
start off on the right footTo "start off on the right foot" means to startsomething in a positive way.
take the bull by the hornsTo "take the bull by the horns" means to directlyconfront a difficult situation.One of our mid-level managers wasn't very popular andwas causing some problems, so we took the bull by thehorns and replaced him with somebody else.We offered them a very generous price on their firstorder and everything shipped on time. We really startedoff on the right foot.
take something lying downTo "take something lying down" means to acceptsomething unpleasant without fighting back.The proposed law would kill our industry, but we'renot going to take it lying down. We're going to fightback and make sure the law isn't passed.
talk someone out of somethingTo "talk someone out of something" means toconvince someone not to do something.I wanted to make a real estate investment, but myfinancial adviser talked me out of it.
the elephant in the room"The elephant in the room" refers to an obviousproblem or controversial issue that no one wants totalk about.We should have been talking about our huge debt,but no one wanted to talk about the elephant in theroom.
think outside the boxTo "think outside the box" means to think ofcreative, unconventional solutions instead ofcommon ones.Creating a product that no one has sold before isan example of thinking outside the box.
throw in the towelTo "throw in the towel" means to quit.I was trying to learn Portuguese, but I got frustratedand threw in the towel.
touch baseTo "touch base" means to make contact withsomeone.Let me make a few phone calls to try to get ananswer to your question. I'll touch base with youlater today.
twist someone's armTo "twist someone's arm" means to persuade orconvince someone to do something that he or shedoes not want to do.The owner thought the budget was a little high. Wehad to twist his arm to get him to agree to it.
up in the airIf something is undecided, it is "up in the air."We're looking for a test market right now, butnothing has been decided yet. Everything's still upin the air.
uphill battleSomething that is difficult to achieve because ofobstacles and difficulties is an "uphill battle.”Winning the election is going to be an uphill battle.He doesn't have much support at the moment.
upper handIf someone has an advantage over someone else,he or she has the "upper hand."John is more experienced and well respected, sohe had the upper hand in the argument.
white collarA "white collar worker" is someone who works in anoffice (customer service, management, sales, etc.). Theopposite of a white collar worker is a "blue collarworker." A blue collar worker is someone who workswith his hands (manufacturing, construction,maintenance, etc.). "White collar" (and "blue collar") canalso be used to describe a job, position, or place.There are mostly manufacturing positions here. Therearen't many white-collar jobs.
writing on the wallThe "writing on the wall" refers to the evidence andclues that something (usually negative) is going tohappen.I'm going to get my resume ready. I can see thewriting on the wall.
a tough break When something unfortunate happens, it can be called a "tough break." It was a tough break for us when Caroline quit. She was one of our top performers.
100%: 100%. 100%: 100%. 100%: 100%. 100%: 100%. 100%: 100%. 100%: 100%. 100%: 100%. 100%: 2. Plain Cement Concrete: 100%. 100%: 100%. 100%: 100%. 100%: 100%. 100% .
UOB Plaza 1 Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall Jewel @ Buangkok . Floral Spring @ Yishun Golden Carnation Hedges Park One Balmoral 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 101 101 101 101 101 101 101 101 101. BCA GREEN MARK AWARD FOR BUILDINGS Punggol Parcvista . Mr Russell Cole aruP singaPorE PtE ltd Mr Tay Leng .
30 100 20 100 20 100 6 60 20 100 10 100 B1 W2 85 560 4RD 933 332-031 Dust and waterproof** 30 100 20 100 20 100 6 60 20 10 10 100 B1 W1 85 - 4RD 933 332-237* 30 100 20 100 20 100 6 60 20 100 10 100 B1 W3 85 - 4RD 933 332-277* with parallel diode Nominal switching current (A)! No. of switchings (thous.)
7 Shade 50% of the whole figure. 8 Shade 75% of the whole figure. Fill in each blank. 9 43 out of 100 % 10 out of 100 1% 11 5 out of 100 % 12 out of 100 10% 13 90 out of 100 % 14 out of 100 87% 15 21 out of 100 % 16 out of 100 2% 17 8 out of 100 % 18 out of 100 3% 19 4 out of 100 % 20 out of 100 9% 21 35 out of 100
S-600PR-WH 100-130V 0-100% Forward Phase MRF2-6ND-120-AL 100-130V 0-100% Forward Phase MRF2-6CL-GR 100-130V 1-100% Forward Phase DZ6HD 100-130V 3-100% Forward Phase PD-6WCL 100-130V 1-100% Forward Phase SELV-300P 100-130V 1-100
S-600PR-WH 100-130V 0-100% Forward Phase MRF2-6ND-120-AL 100-130V 0-100% Forward Phase MRF2-6CL-GR 100-130V 1-100% Forward Phase DZ6HD 100-130V 3-100% Forward Phase PD-6WCL 100-130V 1-100% Forward Phase SELV-300P 100-130V 1-100
tacacs-server host 123.100.100.186 port 49 key lm51! tacacs-server host 123.100.100.187 port 49 key lm51! aaa group server tacacs tacgrp server 123.100.100.186 server 123.100.100.187! aaa group server tacacs eem server 123.100.100.186 server 123.100.100.187! aaa authorization exec tacauthen group tacgrp local
American Gear Manufacturers Association franklin@agma.org June 15, 2012. at Happened in the 2011 US Gear Market? mand for gears was up sharply in the US because of the mendous investment in “traditional” capital equipment. en though gear demand was up 28%, domestic shipments rose only %. The gap was filled by record gear imports (in terms of levels rowth), a 33% rise. ports were due to a .
