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Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn. An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.

take public: make a corporation public by selling shares to the general public, so the business is no longer privately owned.

Example:

After the father died, the son decided to take the company public.

backroom deal: a business agreement that is conducted secretly.

Example:

The bar owner made several backroom deals with his city councilman to prevent competition from opening up another bar in his neighborhood.

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Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn. An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.

get a break: get a good deal on something, or get a good opportunity.

Example:

Because we’re a loyal customer, we got a break on our order, and we were able to save 20%.

close the books: end an accounting period; (figuratively) complete a project.

Example:

You cannot take a vacation at the end of the month, since we have to close the books and produce a financial report.

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Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn. An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.

cut back: to use fewer or less of something, especially with regards to spending.

Example:

To survive the rough economy, the company had to cut back its workforce by a hundred employees.

hard sell: to use an aggressive sales pitch.

Example:

Even though I said I wasn’t interested, the telemarketer kept on with his hard sell.

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Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn. An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.

bottom fall out/drop out: when the price falls below a previous lowest value.

Example:

A few years go the bottom fell out of the real estate market, and now many people owe more on their houses than what the house is actually worth.

tight spot: a dilemma, a difficult situation.

Example:

The customer put the salesman in a tight spot by insisting on an impossible time frame for delivery of the product.

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Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn. An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.

ballpark figure/estimate: estimate; especially, a rough estimate.

Example:

The warehouse needs a new forklift. Can you give me a ballpark estimate as to what it would cost to replace the old one?

come on strong: have a forceful personality, be overly passionate about something.

Example:

Jack can come on a bit strong at times, but he’s our best salesman. He just gets a little carried away.

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Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn. An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.

in short supply: insufficient, not enough to meet demand.

Example:

The store manager was worried about the latest smart phones being in short supply for the holiday season.

carry through: execute a plan, put a plan into action.

Example:

I don’t know how Matthew ever made it to supervisor. He’s great at coming up with ideas, but he has problems carrying through.

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Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn. An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.

on the block: for sale.

Example:

The company went bankrupt, and all their assets were put on the block.

break even: have revenue equal to costs.

Example:

It took the struggling company nearly four years to break even.

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Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn. An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.

receive / give someone the green light: give the OK for a project or idea, allow to proceed.

Example:

I submitted a proposal last week to make some improvements to the production line, but we haven’t received the green light yet.

captain of industry: influential or knowledgeable person in the industry.

Example:

Henry Ford was a captain of the auto industry, and his innovations allowed cars to be built at a price many people could afford.

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Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn. An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.

double-check: review for mistakes, make sure everything is correct.

Example:

Double-check the copy for that brochure before it gets sent to the printer—it would be embarrassing if there were mistakes it in.

gain ground: make progress or improvement, move forward.

Example:

Our new product line has enabled us to increase our market share and gain ground against our closest competitor.

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Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn. An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.

big gun/cheese/wheel/wig: very important person, leader in a company or group.

Example:

All the company bigwigs went on a planning retreat in Orlando over the holidays.

company man: someone who is a diligent worker, and devoted to the company.

Example:

If we hire you for this position, you will be expected to be a company man. We want people who are interested in a career, not merely a job.

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