ENGLISH IDIOMS RELATING TO WORK

ENGLISH IDIOMS RELATING TO WORK

ace up your sleeve	If you have an ace up your sleeve, you have something in reserve with which you can gain an advantage. Our new product is an ace up our sleeve.
hold all the aces	A person who holds all the aces is in a very strong position because they have more advantages than anyone else. Given the high unemployment rates today, employers hold all the aces.
ambulance chaser	A lawyer who finds work by persuading people injured in accidents to claim money from the person who caused the accident is called an'ambulance chaser'. Peterson and Scott are well-known ambulance chasers - that's how they make their money!
back to the salt mines	Saying that you have to go back to the sale mines is a humorous way of talking about returning to work, usually with some reluctance. We get two days off at Christmas and then it's back to the salt mines!
bait and switch	This term refers to a deceptive commercial practice of advertising a low-priced item to attract customers, then telling them that the product is out of stock and persuading them to buy a more expensive article. This store is famous for its bait and switch tactics.
in the black	To say that a person or organisation is in the black means that they are financially sound, have a positive balance on their account and that they owe no money.
black market	The black market refers to the illegal buying and selling of goods or currencies. Be careful of what you buy on the black market - it's not always good quality.
blamestorming	A discussion among a group of people who try to determine who or what is to blame for a particular mistake, failure or wrongdoing, is called 'blamestorming'. A blamestorming session took place following the unfavourable reviews in the press.
blank cheque	If you give someone a blank cheque, you authorize them to do what they think is best in a difficult situation. Tom was given a blank cheque and told to negotiate the best deal possible.
blue chip company	This term refers to a company with a solid reputation for the quality of its products and the stability of its growth and earnings. It's usually safe to invest in a blue chip company.
above board	If a situation or business is described as above board, it is open, honest and legal. There are not secret negotiations.  Our dealings have always been above board.
boil the ocean	To “boil the ocean” means to waste time on a task or project that is unnecessary, not worth doing or impossible to achieve. “I expect you to do the job well but don’t try to boil the ocean!”
get down to brasstacks	When people get down to brass tacks, they start to discuss the essential aspects of a problem or situation. The situation was so serious that after a few polite exchanges they quickly got down to brass tacks.
break your back	If you work extremely hard, or put a lot of effort into achieving something, you break your back to do it. If you want the job done well, you should accept to pay more.  He's not going to break his back for such a low price!
bricks and mortar / bricks and clicks	An established trading company (office/shop) is referred to as a 'brick-and-mortar' business. 'Click companies' refer to internet-based operations. Companies which do both are called 'bricks and clicks'.