Business Idioms - Set 2

no brainer

Taking the new job was a no brainer. They offered me more money, a better schedule, and more vacation days.

a decision or choice that is very easy to make and requires very little thought

no strings attached

They will let you try the product for free with no strings attached. If you don't like it, there is no pressure to buy it.

something that is given without expecting anything in return

not going to fly

I don't think that's going to fly. Let's keep generating ideas.

a solution that isn't effective

no time to lose

I told them I'd be finished by the end of the day and it's already 4:45. I need to get to work. There's no time to lose.

there is a lot of pressure to finish something quickly

off the top of one's head

I have no idea how many branches they have. Off the top of my head, I'd say about 20.

to give a response without thinking about it much or doing any research on the subject

on a roll

Our profits have been above our projected numbers for five months in a row. We're really on a roll.

to have several successes in a row

on the ball

My new personal assistant is working out well. He's really on the ball.

to be alert and aware of things

on the same page

Let's go over the details of what we agreed on to make sure we're on the same page.

to be in agreement about something

on top of something

I read a lot to stay on top of the latest changes in my industry.

to be in control of a situation and aware of changes

on your toes

Stay on your toes. Anything can happen.

to be alert

out in the open

I think it's good to do things out in the open because people get suspicious if you do things in secret.

to be public knowledge and not hidden from people

out of the loop (opposite: in the loop)

I felt like I was out of the loop after being on vacation for two weeks.

to not know something that a select group of people knows

pink slip

They gave him the pink slip. He wasn't performing very well.

to be fired by one's employer

play hardball

He played hardball to get where he is, so I would be careful what you say and do around him.

to be competitive in a cruel and merciless way

put all one's eggs in one basket

It's not good to only invest in the stock market. You don't want to put all your eggs in one basket.

to rely on only one thing to bring success

put the cart before the horse

They were trying to find investors without even having a business plan. They were putting the cart before the

horse.

to do or think about things in the wrong order

raise the bar

The new software is getting great reviews. It looks like the bar has been raised for the competition.

to set the standards or expectations higher, usually by achieving or creating something better than what had previously existed

read between the lines

He didn't say that he wanted to leave the company, but I can read between the lines. He's not happy here.

to understand something that isn't communicated directly

red tape

The new law is going to create a lot of red tape, and we're going to have to pay our lawyers a lot more money.

excessive rules, procedures, and regulations that make it difficult to accomplish something; government requirements that create difficult, time-consuming barriers for people and businesses

rock the boat

I'd ask for a raise, but I don't want to rock the boat.

to cause problems or disrupt a peaceful situation

round-the-clock

We have round-the-clock production at all our manufacturing facilities.

24 hours a day

run/go around in circles

Everyone kept restating their opinions but nothing was agreed on. We were running around in circles.

to do the same thing over and over again without getting any results

safe bet

It's a safe bet that smartphones will be much more advanced in 10 years.

something that will probably happen

same boat

We're all worried about losing our jobs. We're in the same boat.

to be in the same situation

second nature

She's been a computer programmer for ten years. At this point, programming is second nature to her.

something so well that it seems like they were born knowing how to do it

see eye to eye

We don't always see eye to eye, but I respect her opinions and appreciate her honesty.

to agree with someone or have the same opinion as them

see something through

I told my boss that I really wanted to see this project through before taking on another project.

to do something until it is finished

sever ties

We had to sever ties with several of our suppliers due to late shipments.

to end a relationship

shoot something down

It's best not to shoot down people's ideas during a brainstorming session. The goal is to generate ideas, not to criticize them.

to reject something, such as a proposal or idea

sky's the limit

With their commission structure, the sky's the limit to what you can earn.

to have no limit to what can be achieved

small talk

We typically spend about 15 minutes making small talk before we start our meetings.

a conversation about unimportant topics that do not offend people (the weather, for example)

smooth/clear sailing

Once our largest competitor went out of business, it was smooth sailing.

a situation where success is achieved without difficulties

snail mail

If you want to fill out form 52-E and send it to the government, you have to do it using snail mail. They don't allow you to scan the document.

traditional mail that goes through the post office

stand one's ground

We tried to change the dress code, but Human Resources stood their ground.

to not change one's opinion or position

start off on the right foot

We offered them a very generous price on their first order and everything shipped on time. We really started off on the right foot.

to start something in a positive way

start off on the wrong foot

I just switched cable companies. They overcharged me for the first month's service. They really started off on the wrong foot.

to start something in a negative way

state-of-the-art

We have a brand new, state-of-the-art facility.

modern and technologically advanced

take something lying down

The proposed law would kill our industry, but we're not going to take it lying down. We're going to fight back and make sure the law isn't passed.

to accept something unpleasant without fighting back

take the bull by the horns

One of our mid-level managers wasn't very popular and was causing some problems, so we took the bull by the horns and replaced him with somebody else.

to directly confront a difficult situation

talk someone into something

I was hesitant to redesign our website, but my employees talked me into it. I'm glad they did. The new site looks great.

to convince someone to do something

talk someone out of something

I wanted to make a real estate investment, but my financial adviser talked me out of it.

to convince someone not to do something

the elephant in the room

We should have been talking about our huge debt, but no one wanted to talk about the elephant in the room.

an obvious problem or controversial issue that no one wants to talk about

think big

I'm not content with just opening one or two more stores. I'm thinking big -- I think we can open 10 stores in the next five years.

to have ambitious goals and big plans for the future

think outside the box

Creating a product that no one has sold before is an example of thinking outside the box.

to think of creative, unconventional solutions instead of common ones

throw in the towel

I was trying to learn Portuguese, but I got frustrated and threw in the towel.

to quit

time's up

I think his time's up as the CEO. They're going to replace him as soon as they find a suitable candidate.

the time for something or someone has ended

touch base

Let me make a few phone calls to try to get an answer to your question. I'll touch base with you later today.

to make contact with someone

twist someone's arm

The owner thought the budget was a little high. We had to twist his arm to get him to agree to it.

to persuade or convince someone to do something that he or she does not want to do

under the table

To avoid paying taxes, they paid some of their employees under the table.

something that is done secretly (and usually illegally) in the business world

up in the air

We're looking for a test market right now, but nothing has been decided yet. Everything's still up in the air.

something that is undecided

uphill battle

Winning the election is going to be an uphill battle. He doesn't have much support at the moment.

something that is difficult to achieve because of obstacles and difficulties

upper hand

John is more experienced and well-respected, so he had the upper hand in the argument.

to have an advantage over someone else

win-win situation

We were happy to get the contract, and they were happy to get such a good price. It was a win-win situation.

a situation where everyone involved gains something

word of mouth

Many local restaurants rely on word of mouth to get new customers.

something people hear about through informal conversation with friends, family members, acquaintances, etc.

writing on the wall

I'm going to get my resume ready. I can see the writing on the wall.

the evidence and clues that something (usually negative) is going to happen

yes man

The company isn't looking to hire someone who is going to try to make a lot of changes. They're just looking for a yes man.

someone who always agrees with his or her superiors