Шушунова Наиболее употребителные идиоматические 2011

pass the buck

to make someone else deal with something that you should take responsibility for; переложить ответственность на другого;

•He accused ministers of trying to pass the buck on education. in the pipeline

being planned or prepared in order to happen or be available soon; на пути (о товаре и т.п.); на подходе; в работе, в разработке, в процессе становления, в проекте;

•The group has a new CD in the pipeline.

play the game

to accept to do things according to the rules laid down by others; играть по правилам;

• The two official opposition parties must also play the game by the President’s rules.

play the (stock) market

to invest in stocks or shares because you want to make money;

спекулировать на бирже;

•It’s always tempting to play the market, but it’s more risky at the present time.

play a/the waiting game

to delay in a situation where people expect you to take action, because you think this will give you an advantage; занимать выжидательную позицию;

•Police seem to be playing a waiting game with the hijackers.

a race against time

a situation in which someone must do or finish something very quickly because they only have a limited amount of time to do it; бег наперегонки со временем ; дорога каждая минута; времени в обрез;

•With only two days before the election, they find themselves in a race against time.

red tape [U]

documents, rules, or processes that cause delays; формальности,

бюрократические препоны; волокита; канцелярская проволочка;

•If there wasn’t so much red tape, the company would be up and running already.

Origin: Lawyers and government officials used to tie documents together with red or pink tape.

roaring trade

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оживленная торговля;

to do a roaring trade (in something)

to sell large quantities of something in a short period of time;

• We did a roaring trade in ice creams last week. be at the sharp end of something [BrE]

to be involved in the most difficult or dangerous part of something;

быть в центре (событий); на гребне волны ;

‘When the public mood changes, the realization can take time to sink in. Behaviour that was once acceptable can overnight come to be seen as outrageous. The board of GlaxoSmithKline, a big pharmaceutical company, has found itself at the sharp end of such a mood change. Its shareholders voted to reject the company’s remuneration committee report. ‘

snowed under

with too much work to deal with;

• I had to stay downtown and work late last night because we were snowed under at the office.

sweatshop (inf)

a factory where people work very hard in bad conditions and earn very little money; предприятие,применяющее потогонную систему труда;

take the floor

to start talking in a discussion or debate; выступать, брать слово;

• The chairman took the floor. talk shop

to talk about your work, especially in a way that is boring for other people; говорить на узкопрофессиональные темы.

• I never go out with my colleagues because we inevitably end up talking shop.

a tall order (inf.)

something very difficult that someone expects you to do; трудная зада-

ча, трудное дело teething problems (or troubles)

[plural] minor problems that a new company, project, product etc may have in the beginning; болезни роста, трудности на начальном этапе проекта, становления компании и т.д.

walking papers [pl.], [AmE] / marching orders (inf)

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an act of telling someone that they must leave a place or that they are no longer wanted, needed, or employed; увольнение, отставка

•After causing a diplomatic incident, Carter got his walking papers. win-win

a situation in which everyone benefits; беспроигрышная; такая, при которой все стороны выигрывают;

•There were smiles all round when the contract was signed – it was a win-win situation.

windfall

an amount of money that a person or business gets unexpectedly; ‘буре-

лом,’ неожиданная удача; неожиданный доход;

Origin: The word windfall comes from England of centuries ago. There, poor people were banned from cutting trees in forests owned by rich land owners. But, if the wind blew down a tree, a poor person could take the wood for fuel. So a windfall is something wonderful that happens unexpectedly.

Unit 5

Real business stories

1. I made a Sweetheart Deal

This story is about a sweetheart deal which I made last week. I made the deal with a friend, and we both made a profit.

I had started a small company several years ago. I worked hard to make it successful. It was a sign-making business. It was a small company, not a blue chip company. It was not known nationally for the quality of its signs. It did not make millions of dollars in profits. And it was private. It was not a public company with shares traded on the stock market.

Still, I worked hard building up my business. I did not work only a few hours each day – no banker’s hours for me. Instead I spent many hours each day, seven days a week, trying to grow the company. I never cut corners or tried to save on expenses. I made many cold calls. I called

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on possible buyers from a list of people I had never seen. Such calls were often hard sells. I had to be very firm.

Sometimes I sold my signs at a loss. I did not make money on my product. When this happened, there were cutbacks. I had to use fewer supplies and reduce the number of workers. But after several years, the company broke even. Profits were equal to expenses. And soon after, I began to gain ground. My signs were selling very quickly. They were selling like hotcakes.

I was happy. The company was moving forward and making real progress. It was in the black, not in the red. The company was making money, not losing it.

My friend knew about my business. He is a leader in the sign-making industry – a real big gun, if you know what I mean. He offered to buy my company. My friend wanted to take it public. He wanted to sell shares in the company to the general public.

My friend believed it was best to strike while the iron is hot. He wanted to take action at the best time possible and not wait. He offered me a ball park estimate of the amount he would pay to buy my company. But I knew his uneducated guess was low. My company was worth much more. He asked his bean-counter to crunch the numbers.

That is, he asked his accountant to take a close look at the finances of my company and decide how much it was worth. Then my friend increased his offer.

My friend’s official offer was finally given to me in black and white. It was written on paper and more than I ever dreamed. I was finally able to get a break. I made a huge profit on my company, and my friend also got a bang for the buck. He got a successful business for the money he spent.

IDIOMS & EXPRESSIONS sweetheart deal

an abnormally lucrative arrangement between two parties; полюбовная сделка

make the deal with

заключить сделку с кем-либо make a profit

получить прибыль blue chip company

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a well-known, successful company whose shares are a very safe investment; ‘голубая фишка’;

banker’ hours short work hours; cut corners

to do something less carefully or thoroughly than you should because you are trying to save time or money; ловчить, экономить, мухлевать; cold call

an unexpected telephone call or visit by someone trying to sell something; холодный звонок ;

hard sell

a way of selling something that is very aggressive and uses much pressure; жесткая продажа;

break even

to have expenses equal to profits; становиться безубыточным; gain ground

to go forward, to make progress; продвигаться вперед, делать успехи; sell like hotcakes

to be sold very quickly in large quantities; идти нарасхват; рас-

купаться как горячие пирожки; in the black

to be successful, to be making money, to be profitable; in the red

to be losing money, to be unprofitable; big gun

a powerful or important person or group of people; важная персона,

шишка;

strike while the iron is hot

to take advantage of an opportunity; куй железо пока горячо; ball park estimate

an approximate figure or quantity; примерная цифра/ смета; bean-counter

an accountant; crunch the numbers

to do mathematical calculations; in black and white

in writing;

(get) a bang for the buck

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value for the money spent;

2. TALKING ABOUT A NEW PROJECT

Carl, Greg, and Anne work for WaterSonic Corporation. Recently, the company has come up with an idea for a new electric toothbrush.

Carl: I think we’ve come up with a winner.

Anne: I agree. The new Brush-o-matic toothbrush should be a blockbuster!

Carl: Our designers have already made up some prototypes. The toothbrushes have a tooth-whitening attachment and many other bells and whistles.

Greg: We should fast track this project. Let’s try to launch it in time for the holiday season.

Anne: This will be a great stocking stuffer!

Carl: We definitely need a big win for the holidays. Anne: This is a great idea. We’re going to make a killing.

Greg: Let’s not talk about this project to anybody who doesn’t need to know. We’ll keep it under wraps.

Carl: I agree. Mum’s the word. We don’t want any of our competitors to get wind of the idea and rip it off!

Anne: Right. Let’s meet again on Monday morning and discuss our game plan for getting this project off the ground!

IDIOMS & EXPRESSIONS

(to) come up with a winner - to think up a very good idea

•Everybody likes Pepsi’s new advertising campaign. Their advertising agency has come up with a winner.

blockbuster - a big success; a huge hit

•Eli Lilly made a lot of money with the prescription drug, Prozac. It was a real blockbuster.

ORIGIN: This term comes from the blockbuster bombs used during World War Two by the British Royal Air Force. They were huge and created a large explosive force. Blockbuster ideas similarly create a big impact — and hopefully don’t cause destruction like blockbuster bombs!

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bells and whistles - extra product features, usually using the latest technologies; product features which are attractive, but not essential for the product to function; прибамбасы, фенички;

•Our office just got a new copier with all the bells and whistles. I’ll probably never learn how to use all of its features!

(to) fast track a project - to make a project a high priority; to speed up the time frame of a project

•Let’s fast track this project. We’ve heard rumors that our competitors are developing similar products.

stocking stuffer - a small gift given at Christmas time;

•These new mini travel pillows will make great stocking stuffers! NOTE: This expression comes from the practice of kids hanging up stockings that Santa Claus fills (or “stuffs”) with small gifts.

big win - a huge success; a successful product

•The drug company spent millions on research and development, hoping that one of their new products would be a big win.

(to) make a killing - to make a lot of money

•Suzanne made a killing on her Google stock and retired at 40. SYNONYM: to make a fortune

(to) keep something under wraps - to keep something secret; to not let anybody know about a new project or plan

•I’m sorry I can’t tell you anything about the project I’m working on. My boss told me to keep it under wraps.

NOTE: “Wraps” are things that provide cover, so if something is “under wraps” it’s covered up and hidden.

mum’s the word - let’s keep quiet about this; I agree not to tell anyone about this; никому ни слова;

•Please don’t tell anybody about our new project. Remember: mum’s the word!

ORIGIN: The word “mum” comes from the murmur “mmmmm,” the only sound you can make when your mouth is shut firmly. Try making other sounds besides “mmmmm” with your lips and mouth shut firmly, and you will see that it’s impossible!

(to) get wind of - to find out about something, often sensitive information; узнать пронюхать почуять что-л.;

•When the restaurant owner got wind of the fact that one of his waiters was stealing money from the cash register, he was furious.

(to) rip off - to copy an idea; to steal

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•Why doesn’t the Donox Company ever think up any original ideas? All they ever do is rip off their competitors!

NOTE: “Rip off” is also a noun. • We were charged $10,000 for a small advertisement in the newspaper. What a rip off!

game plan - an action plan; a plan for how a project will proceed; план действий;

•The software company’s game plan is to expand its operations into China and India over the next year.

ORIGIN: In football, a “game plan” is a strategy for winning.

(to) get something off the ground - to get started on something, often a project; претворить что-л. в жизнь;

•We’ve been sitting around talking about this project for months. It’s time to take action and get it off the ground!

QUIZ 6: PRACTICE THE IDIOMS

Choose the best substitute for the phrase or sentence in bold.

1) Did the company think of this new product idea themselves?

No, they ripped it off from an inventor. a) No, they paid an inventor for the idea.

b) No, they stole the idea from an inventor.

c) No, they discussed it with an inventor and he agreed to sell it to them.

2) Andrea is planning to quit her job at the end of September, but mum’s the word.

a)don’t tell anybody

b)don’t tell her mother

c)she may change her mind

3)Sony has made a killing on its popular PlayStation line. a) lost money on

b) made a lot of money on c) decided to stop producing

4)After receiving a large loan from the bank, the company was

finally able to get its project off the ground.

a)get started on the project

b)cancel the project

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c) borrow money

5)That new software company seems very disorganized. Do they have a game plan?

a)a plan for closing down their business

b)a plan for developing new games

c)a plan for how they will proceed to grow their business

6)Some experts recommend that when you’re interviewing for a new job, you keep your current salary under wraps.

a)you should tell the interviewer what your current salary is

b)you should say you’re making twice as much as you’re really earning

c)you should not say how much you’re currently earning

7) Don’s new cell phone has a video camera and all sorts of other bells and whistles.

a) fancy features

b) things that make loud ringing noises and whistle tones c) features typical in a low-priced product

8) When investors got wind of the fact that the pharmaceutical company’s major drug increased the risk of heart attacks, the company’s stock price fell.

a) hid

b) discovered

c) got fed up over

3. THE CEO NEEDS TO GO

No wonder he’s being ousted. Pemco’s CEO has been making lots of money while company business is down.

Alan, Paul, and Beth talk about who might take his place.

Alan: I wanted to give you a heads up that our CEO is going to be stepping down on Friday.

Paul: Is he being ousted?

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Alan: I don’t think he’s leaving of his own accord. Business is in the dumps. Sales have been in free fall for the past year. Last quarter alone, we racked up $20 million in losses.

Paul: Our stock price has taken a nosedive.

Beth: Meanwhile, our CEO has been lining his pockets with fat pay and bonuses.

Alan: It’s true that the board is blaming him. Beth: So who’s going to take the reins?

Alan: Apparently, there are two candidates in the running.

Paul: Are they going to promote from within?

Alan: The scuttlebutt is that they’re looking outside the ranks.

Beth: I hope our jobs are safe. Paul: I wouldn’t bank on it.

IDIOMS & EXPRESSIONS

(to) give someone a heads up – to give someone a warning or some information in advance; предупредить;

•I want to give you a heads up that Greg is going to ask you to come in to work on Saturday to finish the proposal.

(to) step down – to resign; to leave a job or political office

•After serving as General Electric’s CEO for 20 years, Jack Welch finally decided to step down.

ousted – fired; pressured to leave a position

•Rick Wagoner was ousted as the CEO of General Motors after failing to improve results at the company.

Synonym: forced out

of one’s own accord – voluntarily; without urging

•Nobody told our receptionist to start a recycling program at work. She did so of her own accord.

in the dumps – down; depressed; в состоянии кризиса (о бизнесе, экономике и т.д.)

•Jeff’s investment advisor told him that the best time to invest in the stock market is when it’s in the dumps.

in free fall – declining quickly ; быстро падать (о ценах);

• When the real estate market in Florida was in free fall, Jack bought a new office building for a great price.

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