Business Idioms
Business Idioms
across the board
- including everyone or everything
The computer company decided to give the workers an across-the-board increase in their salary.adjourn a meeting
- to end a meeting
We adjourned the meeting until the next day.at a loss
- at less than the cost, at a financial loss
Everything was on sale but at a loss so the prices were very low.bail a company out
- to help or rescue a company that has financial problems
The government bailed out the bank in order to maintain stability in the economy.ball park figure/estimate
- a rough estimate or figure
The contractor gave us a ball park figure for the cost of repairing the new building.bang for the buck
- value for the money spent
We were able to get much bang for our buck when we advertised on the Internet.banker's hours
- short work hours (similar to when a bank is open)
My sister's husband owns his own company and works banker's hours most days.bankroll someone
- to supply someone with money, to finance someone
The movie actor bankrolled his son while the son was producing his first movie.bean counter
- an accountant
We asked the bean counters to look at the figures in the new budget.big cheese/gun/wheel
- an important person, a leader
The new director was a big wheel in his previous company but he is not so important now.bigwig
- an important person, a leader
Some of the bigwigs of our company came to visit our factory.bottom drops/falls out of (something)
- a collapse occurs and prices fall below an earlier low price
When the bottom fell out of the coffee market many companies had to stop doing business.bottom line
- the total, the final figure on a balance sheet, the results (of a business)
After we examined the bottom line of the company we decided not to invest in it.bottom line
- the central issue of a discussion, the main point
My friend wants to open a restaurant but the bottom line is that if we do not do more research I do not want to invest any money.bottom out
- to reach the lowest or worst point
The value of the stock has begun to bottom out and it should soon begin to increase in value.bounce a check
- to write a check in which you do not have enough money in your bank account
The young man bounced a check when he tried to pay his rent.boys in the backroom
- a group of men making decisions behind the scenes
The boys in the backroom told us that the factory will close next year.break even
- to have expenses equal to profits
After only three months the company was able to break even and begin to make a profit.budget crunch/squeeze
- a situation where there is not enough money in the budget
There is a severe budget squeeze at our company and we must stop wasting money.buy a stake in (something)
- to buy part ownership of a company or other enterprise
The large bank is planning to buy a stake in the small stock trading company.buy off (someone)
- to use a gift or money to divert someone from their duty or purpose (similar to a bribe and sometimes illegal)
The land developer tried to buy off the politician but he was not successful.buy out (someone or something)
- to buy the ownership or a majority share of something
The large company decided to buy out the small textile company.buy (something) on credit
- to buy something without paying cash
My friend had no money so he decided to buy some furniture on credit.by a long shot
- by a big difference
The soap company beat out the bids of the other companies by a long shot.a calculated risk
- an action that may fail but has a good chance to succeed
The company took a calculated risk when they put the new computer screen on the market.call a meeting to order
- to start a meeting
Our supervisor called the meeting to order when everyone arrived in the conference room.captain of industry
- a top corporation officer
The president of our company was a captain of industry and when he retired he was appointed to many government boards.carry a motion
- to support or win acceptance for a motion/proposal/idea in a meeting
I was able to carry a motion to cancel the activities for next week.carry over figures/numbers/costs
- to transfer a figure/number/cost from one column or time to another
Our company has financial problems and we must carry over last year's losses to this year.carry over (something)
- to save or postpone something for another time
The department store will carry over their sale until after the national holiday.carry the day
- to win complete support
The manager's new idea carried the day and everyone supported him with enthusiasm.carry through with (something)
- to put something into action, to do something
The steel company carried through with their plan to restructure operations.circulate the agenda
- to distribute a list or other information about what will be discussed in a meeting
We circulated the agenda for the meeting one week before the meeting.close out (something)
- to sell the whole of something, to sell all the goods
The company decided to close out the store and sell the remaining stock very cheap.close the books
- to stop taking orders, to end a bookkeeping period
The company will close the books at the end of December.close up shop
- to stop doing business (for a variety of reasons - not only financial reasons)
The university bookstore had to close up shop when their rent was increased.come down in price
- to lower the price of one's product, to become cheaper
We were forced to come down in price in order to sell our target number of cars for the month.come on strong
- to overwhelm others with very strong language or personality
The salesman came on strong at the meeting and angered the other members of the team.company man
- a person who always works hard and agrees with his employers or company
My father was a company man and he always put in an extra effort for his company.company town
- a town dominated by one industry or company
When the coal mine closed, the company town faced severe economic times.crunch numbers
- to do mathematical calculations
Our accountant loves to crunch numbers and he is one of the top managers in our company.cut a deal
- to make a business arrangement or contract
I was able to cut a deal with the contractor and we paid very little for our new kitchen.cut back
- to use fewer or less of something
The company has been cutting back on entertainment expenses recently.cut corners
- to economize, to try to spend less money
We have been forced to economize on expenses during these severe economic times.cut off (someone or something)
- to interrupt or stop someone or something
The speech by our manager was cut off when the electricity went off in the building.cut one's losses
- to do something in order to stop losing additional money or time etc.
We should sell the old machinery soon and try to cut our losses.defeat a motion
- to defeat an idea or proposal in a meeting
Our opponents easily defeated the motion to change the hours for next year's convention.deliver the goods
- to succeed in doing a good job of something
The new manager is not very popular but he is able to deliver the goods.double check (something)
- to check something again to confirm that it is correct
We plan to double check the price of the new product before the price list is printed.draw up a contract
- to make/draft a contract
The lawyer spent several hours drawing up a new contract.face value (of something)
- the official value or worth of something
Although the face value of the postage stamp was very low it sold at the auction for much money.fair play
- justice, equal and correct action toward someone
The company has a reputation for fair play when they are bargaining with their employees.figure out (something)
- to find an answer by thinking about something
Everyone is trying to figure out what our boss is going to do with the new equipment.fill the bill
- to be just what is needed
The new machine should fill the bill for what we need to finish the job.float (someone) a loan
- to loan someone money
I asked the bank to float me a loan so that I could buy a new car.gain ground
- to go forward, to make progress
Our company is gaining ground in its attempt to be the best in the industry.get a break
- to get an opportunity or good deal
We were able to get a break on the price of the paint and we saved much money.get a raise
- to get an increase in one's salary
My sister works hard and she recently got a raise in her new job.get off the ground
- to make a successful beginning
We were unable to get the new product off the ground but we will try again next year.give (someone) the green light
- to give someone permission to go ahead with a project
Our boss gave us the green light to begin work on the new sales campaign.go belly up
- to go out of business because of financial problems
The small computer company went belly up several months ago.go over the books
- to check and analyze the accounting records of a company
We hired an outside accountant to go over our books.go public
- to become a public company and to sell the company stock to the public
The stock of the Internet company rose very quickly after the company went public.go through with (something)
- to do something as planned or as agreed, to finish something
We will not go through with our plans to build the new product until we solve several problems.hang out one's shingle
- to open one's own business (usually as a professional in some field)
My friend decided to hang out his shingle as a dentist soon after he finished school.a hard sell
- a way of selling something that is very aggressive and uses much pressure
The car salesman gave us a hard sell so we went to another car dealer.have a stake in (something)
- to have part ownership of a company or other business
The large oil company has a stake in the new oil exploration company.have one's finger in the pie
- to be involved in something, to receive money for something
The new manager has his finger in the pie of many small businesses.have the floor
- to have permission to speak in a meeting
The president had the floor for almost an hour during the meeting.heads will roll
- someone will be punished
Heads will roll when our boss learns about the money that we have lost.hold a meeting
- to conduct a meeting
We plan to hold a meeting next week to discuss the problems with our new product.in black and white
- in writing
The company refused to deal with the customer's complaints until they were in black and white.in charge of (someone or something)
- to be in control of someone or something, to be responsible for someone or something
My sister has been in charge of buying supplies at her company for many years.in short supply
- to not have enough of something, to be less than the amount or number needed
Experienced computer programmers are in short supply in our company.in stock
- available or ready to sell or use
The store does not have any printer ribbons in stock.in the black
- to be successful, to be making money, to be profitable
The new company has been in the black for many years now.in the long run
- over a long period of time
The company has been losing money recently but in the long run they should make a profit.in the loop
- to be involved or to take part in a job or in information sharing with one's colleagues etc.
I began to work in the evenings and I was no longer in the loop at our company.in the market for (something)
- to be ready to buy something, to want to buy something
We have been in the market for a new computer for a long time.in the red
- to be losing money, to be unprofitable
The company has been in the red since the price of oil began to rise rapidly.in the works
- to be in preparation, to be in the process of being planned or developed
The camera company has a new camera in the works but nobody knows about it.jack up the price of (something)
- to make a price higher
The steel company decided to jack up the price of steel at the beginning of the year.keep books
- to keep records of money that is gained or spent
The new sales manager does not know how to keep books and he has made many mistakes.keep track of (something)
- to keep a count or record of something, to stay informed about something
We have been making a great effort to keep track of the number of visitors to our store.a kickback
- an amount of money that is paid illegally for favorable treatment
The construction company was giving kickbacks to the local politicians.knock down the price of (something)
- to lower the price of something
I bargained hard so that I could knock down the price of the stereo.land an account
- to acquire an account
The salesman landed a large account on his first day of work.lay (something) on the table
- to present a matter for discussion
I went to the meeting and laid my concerns about the new product on the table.lead time
- the time available to prepare for an event or put a product on the market to sell
The lead time to get a book published is very long.line of products
- a group/category of products that are similar to each other
Our company will introduce a new line of products in the autumn.liquid assets
- property or belongings that can easily be converted into cash
The company had to sell some of its liquid assets in order to raise cash.make a cold call
- to visit or telephone a potential but unknown customer from a list of people
When he first started to work at his company the salesman was asked to make cold calls from the telephone book.make a go of (something)
- to produce good results, to succeed at something
Although the man works very hard in his small business he cannot make a go of it and may soon go out of business.make a motion
- to make a suggestion or proposal at a meeting
The manager made a motion to finish the meeting early and continue the next morning.make an offer
- to make a financial proposal for a product or service
We want to buy the house and we plan to make an offer on Saturday.make money hand over fist
- to make a lot of money
The small ice cream shop has been making money hand over fist since it first opened.mean business
- to be serious
Our boss means business when he tells everyone to work harder.move to (do something)
- to propose to do something (usually at a meeting)
I moved to have another meeting next week when we can discuss the problem.a number cruncher
- an accountant, someone who works with numbers
Our president is a good number cruncher and he understands the finances of our company.on credit
- without paying cash
We usually buy most of our furniture on credit.on hand
- to be in one's possession, to be ready
We did not have enough supplies on hand and were unable to finish the job.on the block
- to be for sale, to go on sale
After we bought the company we began to put some of the equipment on the block.out-of-pocket expenses
- the direct expenses that one must personally pay
My out-of-pocket expenses were very high during the business trip.out of stock
- not available for immediate sale
The toys are out of stock and we will have to wait several weeks before we get them.out of the loop
- to not be involved or taking part in a job or in information sharing with one's colleagues etc.
I was out of the loop during the negotiations and did not know what was going on.outsource (something)
- to use outside sources rather than those within a company or its facilities
The manufacturing company outsourced many of their products.overnight (something)
- to send a document or package somewhere for delivery the next day
We decided to overnight the new contract to our supplier.pay off
- to succeed, to yield good results
I hope that our plans for the new business will pay off.pay off a debt/loan
- to finish paying back the money that one has borrowed from a bank/store etc.
The furniture manufacturer was unable to pay off their loan so they went out of business.piece/slice of the action
- a share in the activity or the profits of something
The inventor wanted a piece of the action from the new computer that he had invented.plug a product
- to promote a product
The soccer star makes a lot of money when he agrees to plug a product.preferred customer
- a customer who does much business with you and who you give special discounts to
The man is a preferred customer and he always receives his products soon after he orders them.put one's nose to the grindstone
- to work diligently/hard
I put my nose to the grindstone and finished the job before the weekend.put (someone) on hold
- to disconnect someone temporarily from the telephone
I phoned the bank but they put me on hold before someone spoke to me.put (something) on hold
- to postpone a project
The construction company put the project on hold while they researched the problem with the bridge.put (someone) through
- to transfer someone to someone else's telephone
I phoned the credit card company and they quickly put me through to a supervisor.red ink
- debt (the red ink on a financial statement)
The automobile company has much red ink because of the bad economic conditions.red tape
- rules and regulations that seem unnecessary (often from the government)
There is a lot of red tape when you try to start up a new business.rule (someone) out of order
- to rule that someone is not following the rules of a meeting
The chairwoman ruled the salesman out of order when he began to speak at the meeting.run a meeting
- to conduct a meeting
My boss is not able to run a meeting very well.run an ad
- to place/put an advertisement in a publication
The government decided to run an ad to tell the public about the new gas tax.run short
- to not have enough of something
They ran short of gasoline at the gas station and had to close early.saddled with debt
- to be burdened with debt
Our company is saddled with debt and must do something about it quickly.second a motion
- to agree with a proposal
I seconded the motion where we decided to start one hour early every morning during the summer.sell like hotcakes
- to sell very quickly
The children's toys were selling like hotcakes at the end of the year.sell out
- to sell all of a product
Every year our company is able to sell out most of our summer goods.sell (something) at a loss
- to sell something and lose money
We were forced to sell the computers at a loss.set up a meeting
- to make arrangements for a meeting
I am trying to set up a meeting with the manager of our department.strike while the iron is hot
- to take advantage of an opportunity
I decided to strike while the iron was hot and apply for the job as soon as I heard about it.sweetheart deal
- a deal made between friends/businesses so that both may receive a benefit
We made a sweetheart deal with our landlord to have our rent reduced.table a discussion
- to postpone a discussion until a later time
We tabled the discussion about the salary issue until the next meeting.take a nosedive
- to collapse, to decrease in value
The stock market took a nosedive when the earnings of the oil company decreased.take a pay cut
- to accept a decrease in one's salary
The telephone workers were forced to take a pay cut after the strike.take minutes
- to write down the proceedings of a meeting
I usually take minutes at the monthly club meetings.take on (an employee)
- to give a job to someone, to hire someone
The company took on many new workers during the busy holiday season.take over (something)
- to take control or possession of something, to take charge or responsibility of something
The government decided to take over the bank after it declared bankruptcy.take (a company) public
- to sell shares of a company to the general public
We decided to take our company public in order to raise money to expand our factory.take (something) at face value
- to take something that is said on its surface
I took my friend's comments at face value.take stock
- to count the items of merchandise or supplies in stock, to take inventory
The department store closes for three days every March in order to take stock.throw cold water on (something)
- to discourage or forbid something
The manager threw cold water on our plan to close the factory for one week in August.throw money at (something)
- to try to solve a problem by spending money on it
The president of our company is willing to throw much money at a problem to try and solve it.tight spot
- a difficult situation
The computer company has been in a tight spot since the shortage of computer chips appeared.turn a profit
- to make a profit
The supermarket has been turning a profit since it opened.turn over
- to do business to a certain amount of money/product
We turned over most of our stock last month.turnover
- the rate at which a product is sold and replaced
The turnover of drinks is very high in the store.turnover
- the rate at which employees join and leave a company
The turnover of workers in the new restaurant business is very high.work out
- to have a specific result
I do not believe that the new plan is going to work out.work out (a problem)
- to solve a problem, to provide the details of something
I spent the weekend trying to work out the budget estimates for next year.work overtime
- to work more than one's regular hours
I had to work overtime every Friday last month.write off (a loan/debt)
- to remove a loan/debt from a business record, to cancel a debt
It was impossible for the bank to collect the money so they were forced to write off the loan.bean counter
- an accountant
We asked the bean counters to look at the figures in the new budget.bottom line
- the total, the final figure on a balance sheet, the results (of a business)
After we examined the bottom line of the company we decided not to invest in it.break even
- to have expenses equal to profits
After only three months the company was able to break even and begin to make a profit.budget crunch/squeeze
- a situation where there is not enough money in the budget
There is a severe budget squeeze at our company and we must stop wasting money.carry over figures/numbers/costs
- to transfer a figure/number/cost from one column or time to another
Our company has financial problems and we must carry over last year's losses to this year.close the books
- to stop taking orders, to end a bookkeeping period
The company will close the books at the end of December.crunch numbers
- to do mathematical calculations
Our accountant loves to crunch numbers and he is one of the top managers in our company.figure out (something)
- to find an answer by thinking about something
Everyone is trying to figure out what our boss is going to do with the new equipment.go over the books
- to check and analyze the accounting records of a company
We hired an outside accountant to go over our books.in the black
- to be successful, to be making money, to be profitable
The new company has been in the black for many years now.in the red
- to be losing money, to be unprofitable
The company has been in the red since the price of oil began to rise rapidly.keep books
- to keep records of money that is gained or spent
The new sales manager does not know how to keep books and he has made many mistakes.a number cruncher
- an accountant, someone who works with numbers
Our president is a good number cruncher and he understands the finances of our company.red ink
- debt (the red ink on a financial statement)
The automobile company has much red ink because of the bad economic conditions.saddled with debt
- to be burdened with debt
Our company is saddled with debt and must do something about it quickly.write off (a loan/debt)
- to remove a loan/debt from a business record, to cancel a debt
It was impossible for the bank to collect the money so they were forced to write off the loan.bang for the buck
- value for the money spent
We were able to get much bang for our buck when we advertised on the Internet.plug a product
- to promote a product
The soccer star makes a lot of money when he agrees to plug a product.run an ad
- to place/put an advertisement in a publication
The government decided to run an ad to tell the public about the new gas tax.bail a company out
- to help or rescue a company with financial problems
The government bailed out the bank in order to maintain stability in the economy.banker's hours
- short work hours (similar to when a bank is open)
My sister's husband owns his own company and works banker's hours most days.bankroll someone
- to supply someone with money, to finance someone
The movie actor bankrolled his son while the son was producing his first movie.bounce a check
- to write a check in which you do not have enough money in your bank account
The young man bounced a check when he tried to pay his rent.buy a stake in (something)
- to buy part ownership of a company or other enterprise
The large bank is planning to buy a stake in the small stock trading company.a calculated risk
- an action that may fail but has a good chance to succeed
The company took a calculated risk when they put the new computer screen on the market.float (someone) a loan
- to loan someone money
I asked the bank to float me a loan so that I could buy a new car.have a stake in (something)
- to have part ownership of a company or other business
The large oil company has a stake in the new undersea oil exploration company.adjourn a meeting
- to end a meeting
We adjourned the meeting until the next day.call a meeting to order
- to start a meeting
Our supervisor called the meeting to order when everyone arrived in the conference room.carry a motion
- to support or win acceptance for a motion/proposal/idea in a meeting
I was able to carry a motion to cancel the activities for next week.circulate the agenda
- to distribute a list or other information about what will be discussed in a meeting
We circulated the agenda for the meeting one week before the meeting.defeat a motion
- to defeat an idea/proposal in a meeting
Our opponents easily defeated the motion to change the hours for next week's convention.have the floor
- to have permission to speak in a meeting
The president had the floor for almost an hour during the meeting.hold a meeting
- to conduct a meeting
We plan to hold a meeting next week to discuss the problems with our new product.lay (something) on the table
- to present a matter for discussion
I went to the meeting and laid my concerns about the new product on the table.make a motion
- to make a suggestion or proposal at a meeting
The manager made a motion to finish the meeting early and continue the next morning.move to (do something)
- to propose to do something (usually at a meeting)
I moved to have another meeting next week when we can discuss the problem.rule (someone) out of order
- to rule that someone is not following the rules of a meeting
The chairwoman ruled the salesman out of order when he began to speak at the meeting.run a meeting
- to conduct a meeting
My boss is not able to run a meeting very well.second a motion
- to agree with a proposal
I seconded the motion where we decided to start one hour early every morning during the summer.set up a meeting
- to make arrangements for a meeting
I am trying to set up a meeting with the manager of our department.table a discussion
- to postpone a discussion until a later time
We tabled the discussion about the salary issue until the next meeting.take minutes
- to write down the proceedings of a meeting
I usually take minutes at the monthly club meetings.come down in price
- to lower the price of one's product, to become cheaper
We were forced to come down in price in order to sell our target number of cars for the month.a hard sell
- a way of selling something that is very aggressive and uses much pressure
The car salesman gave us a hard sell so we went to another car dealer.knock down the price of (something)
- to lower the price of something
I bargained hard so that I could knock down the price of the stereo.land an account
- to acquire an account
The salesman landed a large account on his first day of work.line of products
- a group/category of products that are similar to each other
Our company will introduce a new line of products in the autumn.make a cold call
- to visit or telephone a potential but unknown customer from a list of people
When he first started to work at his company the salesman was asked to make cold calls from the telephone book.make an offer
- to make a financial proposal for a product or service
We want to buy the house and we plan to make an offer on Saturday.preferred customer
- a customer who does much business with you and who you give special discounts to
The man is a preferred customer and he always receives his products soon after he orders them.sell like hotcakes
- to sell very quickly
The children's toys were selling like hotcakes at the end of the year.