idiom meaning example

Ahead of the pack To be more successful than If we want to stay ahead of

the competition the pack, we’ll have to
increase our marketing
budget.
Back to square one To start something over To make this software
again because a previous finally work, we have to
attempt failed go back to square one.
Ballpark number/figure A very inexact estimate To give you a ballpark
figure, how much the
border wall to Mexico is
going to cost, I’d say about
30 million dollars.
Big picture Everything that is involved Working on all these
with a particular situation details, we have lost sight
of the big picture.
By the book To do things exactly We told our auditors that
according to the rules or we do everything by the
the law book.
Corner the market To dominate a particular Amazon more or less
market corners the online retailing
market.
Cut-throat Very intense, aggressive, Competition in the food
and merciless competition retailing business is cut-
throat.
Easy come, easy go Something gained easily is I lost 500 Euros in a poker
also lost easily game last night, but that’s
life – easy come, easy go.
Game plan A strategy or plan for What is our game plan for
achieving success dealing with our new
competitor?
Get down to business Stop making small talk and Now that everyone’s here,
start talking about serious let’s get down to business
business topics and start with the
presentation.
Get something off the To start something (e.g. a Now that we have finished
ground project or a business) the planning phase, we’re
eager the get the project
off the ground.
Go down the drain Something is wasted or All our efforts in entering
lost this new market went
down the drain.
Go the extra mile To do more than what To give our customers the
people expect best shopping experience,
we go the extra mile.
Hands are tied Not being free to behave in I’d love to help you, but
the way that you would my hands are tied.
like
In a nutshell Using as few words as In a nutshell, we will run
possible out of cash in three months
time.
In full swing At a stage when the level Construction of our new
of activity is at its highest production site is in full
swing now.
In the driver’s seat To be in charge or in Being offered the position
control of a situation of managing director, I’ll
soon be in the driver’s
seat.
Keep one’s eye on the ball To give something one’s We should not diversify
full attention and to not our product offering too
lose focus much, but rather keep our
eyes on the ball.
Learn the ropes Learn the basics of I’m learning the ropes in
something (e.g. a job) my new position.
Long shot Something that has a very Winning the lottery is a
low probability of long shot.
happening
No-brainer Something that is really Making money working
obvious or easy for an investment bank is a
no-brainer.
No strings attached Something is given They will let you try the
without involving special product for free with no
demands or limits strings attached.
Not going to fly Something isn’t expected This product is definitely
to work out not going to fly.
On the same page To be in agreement about Let’s go over the contract
something details once more to make
sure we’re on the same
page.
Out in the open Something that is public Our financials our out in
knowledge and not secret the open anyway.
anymore
Put all one’s eggs in one To rely on only one thing It’s not smart to invest in
basket to bring success American tech stocks only
and put all one’s eggs in
one basket.
Put the cart before the To do or think about things Trying to find an investor
horse in the wrong order without having a business
plan is like putting the cart
before the horse.
Raise the bar To set standards or The iPhone raised the bar
expectations higher for smartphone makers.
Red tape Official rules and The new law is going to
processes that seem create a lot of red tape.
excessive and unnecessary
Rock the boat To do or say something Don’t rock the boat until
that will upset people or the negotiations are
cause problems finished.
Safe bet Something that is certain It’s a safe bet that
to happen computer processor speed
will more than triple
within the next 10 years.
Same boat To be in the same difficult None of us has any money
situation as someone else left, so we’re all in the
same boat.
See eye to eye To agree with somebody My boss doesn’t see eye to
eye with me about our
marketing campaign.
See something through To continue until I want to see this project
something is finished through before taking on
another one.
Sever ties To end a relationship We had to sever ties with
several suppliers due to
poor product quality.
Shoot something down To reject something (e.g. You shouldn’t shoot down
an idea or a proposal) your co-workers ideas
during a brainstorming
session.
Smooth sailing A situation where success Once our largest
is achieved without competitor went out of
difficulties business, it was smooth
sailing.
Stand one’s ground To not change one’s They tried to cut my travel
opinion or position budget, but I stood my
ground.
Take the bull by the horns To directly confront a My mid-level managers
difficult situation in a constantly delayed
brave and determined way projects, so I took the bull
by the horns and fired
several of them.
Talk someone into To convince someone to I was reluctant to redesign
something do something our website, but my
employees talked me into
it.
Talk someone out of To convince someone not We wanted to take on
something to do something more debt, but our CFO
talked us out of it.
The elephant in the room An obvious problem or We should have discussed
controversial issue that no our pending litigation, but
one wants to discuss. no one wanted to talk
about the elephant in the
 room.
Think outside the box To think of creative, Our current approach will
unconventional solutions get us nowhere. We have
instead of common ones. to think outside the box.
Time’s up Time for something or I think his time’s up as the
someone has ended. CEO.
Touch base To make contact with I will touch base with you
someone. later today.
Twist someone’s arm To convince someone to My boss thought the
do something that he or budget was a little high, so
she does not want to do. I had to twist his arm to
get him to agree to it.
Up in the air Something is undecided or Our international
uncertain expansion plan is still up
in the air.
Uphill battle Something that is difficult Gaining market share in
to achieve because of this country will be an
obstacles and difficulties uphill battle due to tough
competition.
Upper hand To have more power than Due to my experience, I
anyone else and so have had the upper had in the
control argument.
Word of mouth Something is given or Many local stores rely on
done by people talking word of mouth to get new
about something or telling customers.
people about something

Get Down to Business with 25 Cool English Idioms and Phrases

1. Get down to business

Business meetings usually begin with some small talk while waiting for everyone to arrive. When it’s
time to start seriously focusing on the actual work, it’s time to get down to business.

Sample sentence: We’ve got 25 business idioms and phrases to cover today so let’s get down to
business.
2. From day one

This means “since the beginning.” You often hear the phrase from day one used in the workplace to talk
about something that has been true since the very first day a project or business began.

Sample sentence: I hope management realizes that our deadlines are very tight. We need to hire more
people immediately. We’ve been short-handed from day one.

3. Learn the ropes

Learn the ropes is used in situations where someone, usually a new coworker, needs to learn the basics
of how something is done.

Sample sentence: The three new members of our project team will need to learn the ropes ASAP.

4. Bring to the table

To bring [something] to the table means to bring something of use or benefit (skills, experience, etc.) to
a job or business activity (project, meeting, etc.).

Sample sentence: We need someone on the team who can bring project management experience to the
table.

5. Learning curve

A learning curve is used to describe the progress someone has to make to gain experience or learn a
new skill set. A steep learning curve indicates the task may be difficult and therefore take more effort.

Sample sentence: She is welcome to join our team, but there will be a steep learning curve.

6. Get off the ground

To get [something] off the ground means to start doing a job or project, usually after much discussion or
planning.

Sample sentence: Months after looking into how to boost declining sales, we were finally able to get our
aggressive sales campaign off the ground.

7. On a shoestring

When you do something on a shoestring, you’re working on a tight budget or with very little money.

Sample sentence: It’s going to be a challenge doing such a big project on a shoestring but we’ll try our
best.

8. From the ground up

If you build a business or project from zero or from the bottom, you’re starting from the ground up.

Sample sentence: Have you read the news about the enterprising 12-year-old who’s building her
business from the ground up?

9. Behind the scenes

This phrase is used to describe something, usually work, that’s done or that happens away from public
view.

Sample sentence: Organizing a roadshow may look easy, but do you have any idea how much hard work
we’ve put in behind the scenes?

10. Touch base

To touch base with someone simply means to contact someone.

Sample sentence: I have a meeting right now but I’ll touch base with you later.

11. The eleventh hour

The eleventh hour is used to describe something that’s done or happens at the last minute.

Sample sentence: The project manager won’t be pleased about them changing the design at the
eleventh hour.

12. By the book

Doing something by the book means doing it strictly according to the rules, policies or the law.

Sample sentence: I don’t think John will listen to your suggestion. He insists on doing everything by the
book.

13. Run around in circles

To run around in circles means to keep doing something without achieving any real results. In other
words, you’re doing a lot of unnecessary work but not getting anywhere.

Sample sentence: The deadline is coming up, but we’ve been running around in circles because the
client keeps changing their mind about the design.

14. Cut corners

If you cut corners, you’re taking shortcuts and using the easiest, quickest and cheapest way to do
something.

Sample sentence: If we cut corners, we can probably meet our sales target for the last quarter.
15. The bottom line

You may know that the last or bottom line on a financial statement is the most important. The bottom
line is what shows the total profit or loss. So then, the phrase the bottom line is used in general to refer
to the final outcome, or the most important point to consider.

Sample sentence: It’s true that we’re very short-handed, but the bottom line is we must still deliver the
project on time.

16. In a nutshell

Have you seen a nutshell? Think of how small it is and how little it can hold. So, in a nutshell means in
summary, or in as few words as possible.

Sample sentence: This book is about successful businesspeople and how they reached the top. In a
nutshell, it’s about how to grow a successful business.

17. Fifty-fifty

Fifty-fifty simply means dividing something into equal parts so that both parties get 50%.

Sample sentence: Since I’m as busy as you are, let’s split the work for this project fifty-fifty.

18. The big picture

The big picture means to look at the overall view of something, or the situation as a whole and not at
the details.

Sample sentence: I think his presentation was too long and detailed. He should’ve just given us the big
picture.

19. Long shot

Imagine you’re throwing a dart from a long distance. What are the chances of it hitting the bullseye (the
exact center of the target)?

Well, a long shot is an idiom that’s usually used to describe something that has a very small chance of
happening or succeeding.

Sample sentence: Landing such a high-paying job is a long shot but I’m still going to give it a try.

20. Back to square one

Back to square one simply means to start over, or to go back to the beginning.

Sample sentence: I wish I’d saved my spreadsheet before the server crashed. Now I have to go back to
square one.

21. Back to the drawing board

Back to the drawing board also means to start over, but it’s used more often to describe going back to
the first stage of a project or process.

Sample sentence: Our design for small family homes wasn’t approved so we have to go back to the
drawing board.

22. Go down the drain

A drain is a hole where liquids and waste are sent away. For example, there’s a drain in your sink,
shower and toilet.

To go down the drain means that your effort, work or money is wasted or lost.

Sample sentence: If this sales campaign doesn’t succeed, all our hard work will go down the drain.
23. Gray area

The color gray is between black and white. When something is in a gray area, it means the situation isn’t
certain. In a gray area there are no clear rules and it’s difficult to say if it’s right or wrong.

Sample sentence: You have many good points in your proposal but there’s one gray area we need to
discuss.

24. Go the extra mile

To go the extra mile means to give more effort or do more than what’s expected of you.

Sample sentence: Anyone would be glad to have Pam on their team. She’s a great team player and is
always willing to go the extra mile.

25. Call it a day

I saved the easiest one for last. When your work has been completed for the day, or when you decide to
stop working on an activity, you call it a day.

Sample sentence: Now that we’ve learned 25 new business idioms and phrases that you can start using
immediately, let’s call it a day.

Idioms about Business with Meaning & Examples

Here is the list of business idioms and phrases with their meaning and examples in English:

1. Get one’s foot in the door

Meaning: To get an opening or promising opportunity; to start working at a low level, hoping to progress
Example: An internship might not sound very interesting, but it’s a great way to get your foot in the door
at this company.

2. On a shoestring

Meaning: With very little money; on a very tight budget

Example: We lived on a shoestring for years before I got a good-paying job. John traveled to Florida on a
shoestring.

3. Jump through hoops

Meaning: To do a lot of difficult things before you are allowed to have or do something you want

Example: The boss expects the entire staff to jump through hoops for him.

4. Eager beaver

Meaning: An enthusiastic person who works very hard

Example: Give that big project to the new girl, she’s a real eager beaver.

5. Hold the Fort

Meaning: To have the responsibility for something or care of somebody while other people are away or
out

Example: You should open the store at eight o’clock and hold the fort until I get there at ten.

6. Golden handshake

Meaning: A large sum of money that is given to somebody when they leave their job, or to persuade
them to leave their job

Example: The company’s vice president received a $700,000 golden handshake after being pressured to
leave his position.

7. Walking papers
Meaning: The letter or notice dismissing somebody from a job

Example: The boss gave Jame his walking papers for arriving to work late yet again.

8. Cash cow

Meaning: The part of a business that always makes a profit and that provides money for the rest of the
business

Example: When Danniel purchased stock in that software company 10 years ago, he never expected it to
become such a cash cow.

9. Bet your bottom dollar

Meaning: Bet all one has on something

Example: I would bet my bottom dollar that the accounting manager will be late again today.

10. Get the ball rolling

Meaning: Let’s start

Example: I got the ball rolling, but no one helped me with the project.

11. Low hanging fruit

Meaning: It’s easy to do

Example: People who always want to be the first to buy something, they’re low-hanging fruit for this
product.

12. Get the bugs out

Meaning: Find the mistakes or prevent problems

Example: I got the bug out of my system and came back and worked hard to build my career..

13. Think outside the box

Meaning: Think of creative, unconventional solutions instead of common ones

Example: OK, team, we really need to think outside the box if we’re going to impress the CEO!

14. Hit the ground running

Meaning: We need to start the project well

Example: We need to hit the ground running with this project.

15. All hands on deck

Meaning: Everyone is working extra hard to finish this

Example: All hands on deck! We’ve got to roll out this tarp before the rain starts. Now let’s go!

16. Touch base

Meaning: Let’s speak again next week

Example: John and I touched base on this question yesterday, and we are in agreement.

17. In the black

Meaning: Become profitable opposed to being “in the red”

Example: I wish my accounts were in the black. Sally moved the company into the black.

18. On the ball

Meaning: To be alert and aware

Example: My new personal assistant is working out well. He’s really on the ball.

19. Shooting the breeze

Meaning: Talking casually without purpose

Example: We spent the entire afternoon just shooting the breeze.

20. Know the ropes

Meaning: Have knowledge of

Example: Don’t worry about Sara’s taking over that reporter’s job-she already knows the ropes.

A full plate - a lot of work to do or problems to deal with - The company accountant had a full plate
completing the income tax forms by the deadline.

Angel investor - an investor who provides financial backing for small startups or entrepreneurs - Mr.
Jones pitched his new business and an angel investor decided to invest.

At arm’s length – a distance discouraging personal contact or familiarly - We kept the competitor of our
business at arm’s length.

Bad egg – a worthless, untrustworthy person - The new sales agent was a bad egg and deliberately lied
to the customer.

Bang for the buck – value for money; performance for cost - Time Warner Cable, Co. gave more bang for
the buck to the customer by bundling prices for their television, video and phone services.

Belt tightening – the introduction of rigorous reductions in spending - When demand for computers
decreased, the computer company had to do some belt tightening.

Bitter pill to swallow – bad new; something unpleasant to accept - After working long hours and not
getting paid for overtime, the secretary found it a bitter pill to swallow.

Blank check – complete freedom of action or control - The millionaire CEO funded the product research
with a blank check.

Blew it all - to spoil your chance of achieving something because of what you say or do - The marketing
director spent his entire budget; he blew it all on digital advertising.

Bounce back – to return to a good condition; to recover from a blow or defeat - The stock market will
hopefully bounce back in the new year.

Breadwinner - one whose earnings are the primary source of support for one's dependents - Maria was
the breadwinner in her family and chose work at the company that paid the most.
Bring home the bacon - to earn a living, especially for a family; to achieve desired results; have success -
David was bringing home the bacon when his boss doubled his salary for being such a devoted
employee.

Bullish on – optimistic about a market often used when describing investors - The stock analyst knew
that the electric company’s stock was a great investment. Soon all of his clients were bullish on this
stock.

Caught red-handed – seen doing something illegal or private; caught in the act - The bank clerk was
caught red-handed stealing from the bank.

Can’t quite get my fingers on it – I can’t quite figure it out or it’s difficult to understand - Even though
the benefit package was explained to the new employee, he couldn’t quite get his fingers on it.

Come to think of it – I just remembered - “Come to think of it, I didn’t sign up for the company holiday
party.”

Compare apples to oranges – compare two unlike things to make an invalid comparison - You really
shouldn’t think that sales in a rural area would equal sales in some of the largest urban regions of the
world. That’s like comparing apples to oranges.

Compare apples to apples – compare two similar things - In exploring options for expanding the
company, the Board of Directors hired different architects to compare apples to apples about the cost of
the expansion.

Corporate ladder – stages or structure of moving up in a large company or business - Although he just
graduated from college a few years ago, he already was targeted in the company to climb the corporate
ladder quite quickly.

Corporate raider - a financier who makes a practice of making hostile takeover bids for companies,
either to control their policies or to resell them for a profit - Our company was not doing as well as
expected, so the corporate raider offered a purchase price.

Cost a pretty penny - to be expensive - The addition of the exercise room and the 24/7 café cost a pretty
penny for the company.

Crunch some numbers – do the math and calculations - The management was told to crunch some
numbers to see about employee raises this year.

Down and out – poor; without hope - Although the agency seemed down and out, it had offered so
many wonderful services to the community.

Down on my luck – have had a bad experience; often because there is little money - I had gone to my
fifth interview this week with no offers. It seemed like I sure was down on my luck.
Down to the wire – unsettled to the very end; neck and neck - She worked down to the wire on the grant
proposal to finish in time.

Fallout – consequences; bad results of a situation - The fallout of the new management was not
accepted very well by the former employees.

Fast track a project – make priority; speed up the time frame - The boss said that we need to fast track
the construction project and finish before winter.

Filthy rich – very rich - The owner of that fast food franchise is filthy rich.

Get off to a flying start - to begin an activity very successfully - The new marketing campaign got off to a
flying start and sales increased.

Give him a big hand – to give a round of applause - The manager said to give him a big hand because he
initiated the company merger.

Glass ceiling - an unofficially acknowledged barrier to advancement in a profession, especially affecting

women and members of minorities - It seemed difficult to break through the glass ceiling, until more and
more of the immigrant

Got off on the wrong foot - to begin doing something in a way that is likely to fail - The telemarketing
idea got off on the wrong foot and soon it was disband.

Have a gut feeling - to begin doing something in a way that is likely to fail - The personnel manager had a
gut feeling that the older man would be an asset to the company.

Head something off at the pass – to stop something from happening - The President of the company
anticipated a lawsuit so he headed it off at the pass by offering a substitute product and some monetary
compensation.

Hold purse strings - to control the spending of a family's or an organization's money - The profits had
gone down this past month so the boss said to hold the purse strings until company profits picked up.

In the doghouse – in disfavor or grace - The project was not finished in time and the manager treated
the computer technician as if he were in the doghouse.

It’s a gold mine – very valuable - That new stock turned out to be a gold mine!

It’s a rip-off – act of exploitation; a product or service that is overpriced or of poor quality - I bought the
new protection plan which turned out to be a rip-off.

It’s a steal – a bargain - The department store featured 50% of all of its merchandise over the weekend.
It’s a steal!

Keep everyone on their toes - alert; energetic - The new supervisor liked to keep everyone on their toes
to increase work production.
Keep our heads above water - to manage to survive, especially financially; to keep up with one’s work -
In this economy, the hotel chain tried to keep their heads above water. They added an outdoor patio in
hopes to attract more customers.

Money to burn - to have a lot of money to spend on things that are not necessary - The manager had a
lot of money to burn so he redecorated his office.

Monopoly money - money that seems to have little or no value - My brother who owns a prosperous
company bought a round of drinks for everyone at the company party. He spent money as if it were
monopoly money.

My gut tells me – have a strong feeling that my intuition tells me - My gut tells me that we should go
ahead with the project.

No BS – no bullshit (opposite of BS); this is a casual comment but it should not be said in more formal
situations as it can be seen as derogatory - There was no BS with the boss; he wanted to just say it as it
was. He preferred “straight to the point” discussions.

On good ground – safe with; having big consequences; large in scope; great - We were on good ground
with the adjacent company.

On top of trends – aware and responding to what’s current - We hired someone to keep on top of trends
so our company could be competitive.

Out of line with - not consistent with; not at the same level as - If your pay is out of line with your peers'
pay, it's time to make an appointment with the boss.

Pay through the nose – to pay too much for everything - If you bought the paper you would pay through
the nose; it’s best you order it online and use that coupon.

Pay top dollar – to pay a lot of money for something - The customer paid top dollar for the new car with
all of the gadgets.

Pick your brains - obtain information by questioning someone who is better informed about a subject
than oneself - There was a brainstorming session to pick everyone’s brains for a new name for the
company.

Play it by ear - to do something by feel and instinct rather than with a plan, to improvise - The meeting
would be held on Thursday or Friday but we would have to play it by ear.

Price skyrocketed - increases quickly to a very high level or amount - The real estate prices seem to have
skyrocketed this past year.

Pull the wool over their eyes – to deceive - Working there is quite different. It seems like the interviewer
pulled the wool over my eyes during the interview process. Now it seems so different.
Put money in your mouth - to support something that you believe in, especially by giving money - The
company donated their services and raised funds as an example of what the community should do in
time of need. They put money in their mouth, that’s for sure.

Quick buck - quick or easy earnings; same as “fast buck” - They are stock traders out to make a quick
buck.

Reality check – to think realistically about the situation - Let’s have a reality check and see if the
company needs to cut back on its employees’ hours as the profits are just not there.

Red tape - obstructive official routine or procedure; time-consuming bureaucracy - In order to get
permission to expand the project, there was a lot of red tape to go through. All of those phone calls and
meetings were really exhausting.

Rule of thumb - a useful principle having wide application but not intended to be strictly accurate or
reliable in every situation - The general rule of thumb was to wear more casual clothes on Fridays.

Scale back – reduce the number of hours or the size of the project, etc. - I wanted to scale back my hours
on the weekend so I could spend more time at home.

Scratch someone’s back – to do something for someone with the intent that he/she does something for
you - I will scratch your back, if you scratch mine. In other words, I’ll put a good word in for you this
time, and when it’s my turn to lead the project, you do the same. Okay?

Selling like hotcakes – to sell quickly and in large numbers - The new laptops were selling like hotcakes!

Short on cash – having little or a small amount of money - I was short on cash and asked if I could
borrow some money from my friend for lunch.

Sparks fly / make sparks fly / when sparks fly – interaction that becomes heated or lively - You should
have seen the sparks fly at the meeting with the heads of the department! Wow, no one seemed to
agree.

Spent a fortune – to spend a large amount of money - It seems like they spent a fortune on the company
picnic. There were door prizes, entertainment and great food.

Splashed out – to spend a lot of money on things that are usually not necessary to have but are luxuries
- He wanted to win the advertising account so he splashed out money to try to persuade them.

Stinking rich – very rich - The owner passed on his company and stock to his daughter. Imagine being
that stinking rich!

Test the waters – to try it; to experiment - I thought I would test the waters with this design first. Then it
can always be expanded or altered, etc.

Thick-skinned – insensitive to criticism; usually unoffended - The salesman was thick-skinned and used
to others complaining about his products.
Throw in the towel – to quit; to give up - I decide to throw in the towel and take a new job. It was just
too demanding of my time.

Time on your hands – to have time - The student had time on his hands to do extra reading.

To beat someone to – to do something before somebody else has a chance - He beat me to winning the
contract.

To be hit hard by – to suffer losses due to something - We were all hit hard by the recent recession.

To clamp down on – to get strict about - The company added a new policy to clamp down on the abuse
of overtime.

To come up with – to think of - I don’t know who came up with the idea of a company breakfast once a
month, but it sure seems like fun!

To drop the ball - to make a mistake; to fail to perform one's responsibilities - The student dropped the
ball and his final project was not that well done.

To get ahead – to advance in one's career - The workers who want to get ahead try to stay on task
during the day without much interruption.

To get wind of - to find out about something often a secret - I got wind of the new supervisory position
and decided to apply for it.

To go private – to remove a company from the stock exchange so it is once again owned by private
investors; the reverse process of “going public” in which a company lists itself on the stock exchange -
The Board of Directors voted to go private and sent out a letter to possible investors.

To have seen better days – to be in a period of decline or slow sales - The video store has seen better
days; fewer people are renting store videos.

To keep under wraps - to keep secret - We're going to give Susan a 20% pay increase next month, but
let's keep that under wraps for now.

To lay out a plan - to present a plan - We need to lay out a plan for the company’s growth for the next
decade.

To pay a premium – to pay a higher price for something because it’s a better quality or has a better
brand, for instance - You’ll pay a premium for coffee at that shop, but I am sure you will enjoy it.

To pay a premium – to pay a higher price for something because it’s a better quality or has a better
brand, for instance - You’ll pay a premium for coffee at that shop, but I am sure you will enjoy it.

To play catch up – to make a big effort to overcome a late start; when you are behind and you have to
take actions to get to the level of your competition - Let’s face it. We had to play catch up with all of the
phones and computers that have been recently developed. This new idea of a compact computer
should sell.

To plug (a product) – to promote a product; to talk positively about it - It was interesting to have the
owner plug the product line for so many years. It really helped with sales.

To pull the plug – to stop a project that is not doing well; stop moving forwards; discontinue - Even
though it was an interesting idea to give away a mug with each book purchase, the boss pulled the plug
as it we ran out of mugs.

To put a lid on – to stop; to stop something from increasing. This is often used to discuss spending. -
Expenses are getting out of control. We need to put a lid on spending.

To rally the troops – to motivate others; to get others excited about; to move forward - The new
manager was good at rallying the troops to build company spirit. He planned dress-up days that were
lots of fun.

To snap up – to buy quickly or in large quantities; a term that implies that the product is very desirable
so that many people are buying it - We snapped up all of those company tee-shirts that were on sale.

To throw cold water over/on (an idea/plan) – to present reasons something does not work; to
discourage - He continued to throw cold water on the new plan that we wanted to do and finally he
agreed with it.

Under the table – secretly as in money that is paid (e.g., the deal is often illegal); opposite: above board
- They made an agreement under the table so I don’t really know what was said.

Uphill battle – a difficult fight - It was an uphill battle to get the extra vacation day approved.

Word of mouth - gossip; news spread by people talking to each other (note: often used as a marketing
term to describe an advertising or marketing message that is spread from one person to another --
which is a positive thing for the company because it means that people are talking about the company's
product or service)The restaurant special quickly spread by word of mouth and their business boomed.

Up in arms – very angry - The employees were up in arms when the health insurance costs went up.

Value added - of, relating to, or being a product whose value has been increased especially by special
manufacturing, marketing, or processing - There was value added when we listened to what the
customers wanted and changed our product accordingly.

Walking a tightrope between - to deal carefully when in a sensitive situation, choosing between two
things (often opposing things); i.e. "Tightrope" is a rope that acrobats cross in a circus, very carefully. - It
was difficult to do my job as it always seemed like walking a tightrope between one manager and
another.
Warts-and-all - not trying to hide the bad things even with the problems or flaws; ignoring the
unattractive features - I have some issues with my boss, but overall I like working for him, warts-and-all.

Weigh in on - give one's opinion about.Roger is making over $100,000 a year. I'd like to weigh in on the
decision of what he gets paid for next year.

Worth a fortune - worth a large amount of money - The coffee franchise was worth a fortune.

Wrong side of the bed - to seem grouchy and unhappy on a particular day; to begin the day in a bad
mood - Margaret was almost always positive, but today it seemed she got up on the wrong side of the
bed. Everything she said was negative.