| Idiom/Saying |
Explanation |
To bring home the bacon.
For example:
"He felt it was his responsibility to bring home the bacon." |
To earn a living for the family. |
| To balance the books. For examples:
"The accountant couldn't work out the profit and loss until they had
balanced the books."
|
To make certain that the amount of money spent is not more than the
amount of money received. |
| A ball park figure.
For example:
"Until we had costed the project properly we were only able to give
the customer a ball park figure." |
A general financial figure. |
| A bean-counter. For example:
"The bean-counters told us we had to reduce the budget." |
An accountant |
Blood on the carpet .
For example:
"After the meeting there was blood on the carpet. " |
A lot of trouble in an organisation often resulting in someone
losing their job. |
| The bottom line. For example:
"When he told me the bottom line I decided not to go ahead with the
project." |
The total, the final figure on a balance sheet / the most important
feature of something.
|
| To break even.
For example:
"The company broke even after two years." |
When expenses equal profits.
|
| A cash cow. For example:
"The new product has proved to be a real cash cow." |
A product or service that makes a lot of money for a company. |
A big cheese.
For example:
"Anita Roddick is a big cheese in Body Shop." |
An important person, a leader (usually about business). |
| To cold call.
For example:
"The sales rep cold called customers from the business directory.
|
To call potential customers without an appointment or previous
contact. |
|
|
"To crack the whip ."
For example:
"We finished the project on time, but only because I really cracked the
whip." |
To make someone work harder by threatening them. |
| A dead end job.
For example:
"She left the company because she was very ambitious but in a dead
end job." |
A job that has no chance of promotion or advancement. |
| A golden handshake. For example:
"She won't have to find a job very quickly because she got a huge
golden handshake from her last job." |
To receive a large payment on leaving a company. |
| To be fired
For example:
"He was always coming late, so eventually they fired him." |
To be dismissed from your job. |
| To get the sack
For example:
"He was always coming late, so eventually they sacked him." |
To be dismissed from your job. |
| A close shave. For example:
"I nearly crashed the car this morning, it was a close shave." |
When you come extremely close to a dangerous or unpleasant situation
or only just manage to avoid it. |
| To be snowed under For example:
"She wasn't able to finish the report as she was snowed under with
other work." |
To be very busy. |
| To sweat blood. For example:
"She sweated blood to finish the project on time." |
To work very hard. |
By the sweat of one's brow.
For example:
"She managed to keep the company going by the sweat of her brow. " |
To work really hard. |
| To work your fingers to the bone.
For example:
"She kept the family together by working her fingers to the bone."
|
To work really hard.
|