Book Design and Production: Slangman Publishing Design (Logo/Web): Jennifer Reese Editor: Julie Bobrick Illustrator – Outside cover: Ty Semaka Illustrator – Main inside illustrations: Peter Gullerud Icon Design: Sharon Kim Copyright © 2001 & 2005 by David Burke Published by Slangman Publishing • 12206 Hillslope Street • Studio City, CA 91604-3603 • USA Toll Free Telephone from the USA: 1-877-SLANGMAN (1-877-752-6462) From outside the USA: 1-818-752-6462 Worldwide Fax number: 1-413-647-1589 Email: editor@slangman.com Website: http://www.slangman.com All rights reserved Reproduction or translation of any part of this work beyond that permitted by section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act without the permission of the copyright owner is unlawful Requests for permission or further information should be addressed to the Permissions Department, Slangman Publishing, Inc This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought The persons, entities and events in this book are fictitious Any similarities with actual persons or entities, past and present, are purely coincidental This publication includes images from CorelDRAW® 12 and ArtToday.com which are protected by the copyright laws of the U.S., Canada and elsewhere Used under license ISBN10: 1891888145 ISBN13: 9781891888144 Printed in the United States of America 10 ii the SLANGMAN GUIDE TO biz speak EXPLANATION OF ICONS These exercises reinforce visual recognition of the slang terms and idioms presented throughout this book These exercises include fill-ins, crossword puzzles, word matches and many other fun word games to help you use the new terms in context One of the most important parts of any language is to be able to understand what you hear These exercises can all be found on the audio program (See order form on back page for details) These oral exercises are designed to help you to begin speaking and thinking like a native iii table of contents iv the SLANGMAN GUIDE TO biz speak v table of contents vi the SLANGMAN GUIDE TO biz speak vii (Answers on p 217) General Workplace Slang & Idioms (A-H) the SLANGMAN GUIDE TO biz speak 1 Did you hear the news? Nancy got a big promotion Now she’s a big wig! “big wig” means:  executive  secretary Jennifer got reprimanded by the boss for missing her deadline “deadline” means:  dying telephone connection  completion date My new boss makes us work late every night and on weekends What a slave driver! “slave driver” means:  relaxed boss  relentless and demanding boss I only have a week to get this job completed I’d better get cracking “get cracking” means:  leave work early  start working I’ve been out of work for a month I need to start pounding the pavement soon “pounding the pavement” means:  taking more walks  looking for employment I just got called on the carpet for wasting time at work “called on the carpet” means:  reprimanded  offered a carpeted office My father sleeps during the day because he works graveyard He gets home early in the morning “works graveyard” means:  works in a cemetery  works the late-night shift Bob just got canned for stealing money from the company! “canned” means:  fired  pickled I’m tired of doing Bob’s job for him He never pulls his weight around here “pulls his weight” means:  goes to the gym  does his share of work 10 I hate being a paper-pusher I want to find a job that’s more creative “paper-pusher” means:  clerical desk worker  paper vendor General Workplace Slang & Idioms (A-H) Lesson • earl got called on the carpet! A DIALOGUE USING SLANG & IDIOMS The words introduced on the first two pages are used in the dialogue below See if you can understand the conversation Note: The translation of the words in boldface is on the opposite page CD-A: track Jason: Did you hear the news about Earl? He was called on the carpet by some of the big wigs for missing his deadlines They told him that if he doesn’t start pulling his weight around here, they’re going to demote him to paper-pusher Not only that, they’re going to make him work graveyard, too! David: Well, he’d better get cracking or those slave drivers are going to can him for sure I’m sure he’d hate having to pound the pavement again General Workplace Slang & Idioms (A-H) ANSWERS TO LESSONS 1-10 C Context Exercise F C J H A D B E G 10 I D Complete the Phrase Steve: I can’t believe the boss is talking about downsizing and making cutbacks at a time when we’re already short-handed He even warned me that if the company doesn’t start making more money, I may have to take a pay cut Chuck: That’s crazy! You’ve been wearing several different hats at your company ever since you came on board If anything, you should be getting a pay hike! I’ve never seen such a workaholic like you! Steve: I know I get so tired of this rat race sometimes Well, it’s a good thing I’m not the only breadwinner in the family My wife has a nine-to-five that pays really well LESSON FOUR – send this to the vp’s cpa asap, ok? let’s warm up! send a copy to okay cover your ass for your information memorandum 10 Certified Public Accountant overtime Chief Financial Officer 11 as soon as possible Human Resources Federal Express 12 vice president let’s practice! A choose the right word CPA memo ok CYA HR 10 CFO FYI OT 11 VP Fed CC 12 ASAP C Match the Column B crossword puzzle L H P E N 10 F C 11 I A 12 K J D LESSON FIVE – my hard drive got a virus and crashed! let’s warm up! False True False 10 True True True False 11 False False False True 12 False 219 the SLANGMAN GUIDE TO biz speak let’s practice! A I know the answer, but what’s the question? Is that your new computer? Why doesn’t anything happen when I type on the keyboard? Do you have to redraw each image one at a time? Can you find the report you started yesterday? How did you make your report look so great? How did you get your computer to work so fast? It used to be so slow! b Find Your Perfect Match c Imagine that… In this section, you could have many possible answers Remember, respond to each situation by making a complete sentence using one of the groups of words in the word list AND using each group only once Be as creative as you’d like! d you’re the author Laura: Every time I log on to my PC, it works for about ten minutes and then crashes! So, I reboot to start over and it happens again Claudia: Have you asked Donna to help you? She’s a computer hacker and could probably figure out the problem fast Laura: I called her but she wasn’t in her office I left a message I hope she’ll call me back soon Claudia: Well, I sure hope you didn’t get a computer virus I hear that some of them can actually delete your entire hard drive! You might want to copy all your documents to a floppy It might even be a good idea to make a hard copy of all your important documents Laura: Good idea! This is so annoying The problem keeps happening every time I use my graphics program That’s it! There must be a bug in my graphics program The entire problem started when I tried to cut and paste some clipart from one document into another Claudia: Maybe you just need to reinstall the program! LESSON SIX – Our cutting edge, hi-tech line! let’s warm up! frequent, high-spending customer introduce and supply to stores 11 type of consumers mailed advertisements excessive publicity 12 Internet advertisements profitable product mutually beneficial promotion 13 enticement increasing rapidly technologically advanced 14 merchandise (all in the same category) aggressive publicity campaign 10 partial refund 220 ANSWERS TO LESSONS 1-10 let’s practice! A The Unfinished Conversation (Suggestions for answers) Yes Our sales are skyrocketing! It’s selling great It’s a real cash cow Not really because I got a rebate from the manufacturer I got a stuffer that mentioned it Because every day I get a ton of spam! B Choose the Right Word spam stuffer hype cow cutting 10 demo blitz launch 11 tie line hook 12 preferred C Complete the Story D Create Your Own Sentence (suggestions for answers) They’re skyrocketing! Yes They are part of our new line Yes I think it will be a cash cow No It’s nothing but spam Because it’s cutting edge technology All the hype about it sounded interesting No It’s the wrong demographics The best way would be to a tie-in with all the markets Because I got a rebate from the manufacturer 10 Because we’re not going to launch them until next week 221 the SLANGMAN GUIDE TO biz speak LESSON SEVEN – that spot has a catchy jingle! let’s warm up! I N G J M K F E 13 H B 10 C 14 L 11 D 12 A let’s practice! a Create Your Own Sentence (suggestions for answers) Yes The commercial was very hard-hitting and had a very catchy jingle First I heard about it through word-of-mouth Then I saw a spot about it that aired last night Yes It’s a real eye-catcher As a circular, I’m sure it will really pull I saw a hard-hitting infomercial about it Usually I don’t like the hard-sell, but it was very convincing I was thinking about making some cold calls, but I think I’ll run an ad instead I’m sure it will pull I think we should air a hard-hitting spot b True or False False False False False False True True True True 10 False d Crossword Puzzle d You’re the Author Joe: I just got a real eye-catching circular in the mail Usually I hate direct response advertising because it’s annoying, but at least it’s not as annoying as getting a cold call Besides, in this case I really want what they’re advertising It’s for a new CD player for half price! I think they’re also running an ad about it in the newspaper Ron: I just saw a hard-hitting spot on TV advertising the same CD player They probably air it a dozen times a day It must really pull well First you hear this real catchy jingle I still can’t get it out of my head! Then you see the information about the CD player being spread by word-of-mouth It’s not a hard sell which I really like It’s nothing like one of those infomercials where the hosts talk to you forever about why you should buy their product 222 ANSWERS TO LESSONS 1-10 LESSON EIGHT – a lot of wheeling & dealing! let’s warm up! True False 11 True True False 12 True True True 13 True False True 14 False False 10 False let’s practice! A & B create your own story In this section, you could have many possible answers Remember, the more creative you are, the funnier your story will be! c what would you if someone said ? a c b b c a b a a 10 b d “across” word puzzle hammer undercut sour walk drives knock caved rock LESSON NINE – mr smith, you have the floor! let’s warm up has officially ended formal proposal propose 10 am in support of yes 11 The chairperson acknowledges written report of what transpired at the last meeting 12 meeting where we review previous topics those in favor win the vote 13 postpone this discussion the topic of discussion 14 re-examine have permission to speak 15 think of ways to solve problems officially open this meeting let’s practice! A truth or lie lie truth lie lie lie truth 223 the SLANGMAN GUIDE TO biz speak B find the definition a favorable vote to end officially, to come to an official close a common phrase to acknowledge a person in the room who has raised his/her hand 10 a written report of what transpired during a meeting to begin a formal meeting 12 a meeting where previous business is discussed and reviewed a formal proposal to be voted on in a meeting to make a formal proposal to be voted on in a meeting 11 to postpone a discussion for later to solve problems by thinking intensely about them 13 said by the Chairperson when those who voted in favor of a proposal have won to make something the topic of discussion 14 to have permission to speak to be the second person to support a motion 15 to re-examine a topic c find-the-word grid LESSON TEN – joe got an isp for surfing net! let’s warm up! Internet address the Internet cross-reference location on the Internet on the Internet disconnected electronic mail 12 opening page (used as a table of contents) 13 accesses from visitors image-display program 10 Internet Service Provider 14 mark it in order to come back to it later searching the Internet 11 visitors 15 small graphic representation let’s practice! A Correct or Incorrect? correct correct 11 correct incorrect correct 12 incorrect correct correct 13 correct incorrect 14 correct 10 incorrect 15 correct correct incorrect b blank-blank hyperlink URL 11 email ISP thumbnail 12 browser cyberspace online 13 bookmark surfed 14 website homepage bumped 10 traffic c true or false False True True 10 True True True False 11 False False True True 12 False 224 index -A- a steal / a real steal (to be a) See: come in high (to) 157 ABC 74 ad 143 ad banner See: banner 144 ad impression See: impression 146 address 202 adjourned (to be) See: stand adjourned (to) 181 Adobe Acrobat 202 advert See: ad 143 advertising agency 143 air something (to) 134 aka 74 all tied up (to be) See: tied up (to be) 58 America Online 202 angle See: angle (to) 143 angle (to) 143 AOL 74 archive (to) 96 ASAP 66 at a deadlock (to be) See: at a standstill (to be) 156 at a stalemate (to be) See: at a standstill (to be) 156 at a standoff (to be) See: at a standstill (to be) 156 at a standstill (to be) 156 ATM 74 attachment 203 attribute 96 axe someone (to) 13 aye 178 -B- baby boomer 121 back order (to be on) 121 back to the drawing board (to go) 13 back to the grind (to get) See: back to the salt mines (to get) 13 back to the salt mines (to get) 13 backdown (to) 165 backup (to) 96 bail (to) See: walk (to) 160 bait See: hook 113 bait and switch 143 banner 144 barter (to) 165 225 INDEX bawled out (to get) See: called on the carpet (to get) bell cow See: big seller 121 beta test (to) See: beta version 96 beta version 96 between engagements (to be) See: between jobs (to be) 26 between jobs (to be) 26 big brass See: big wig big cheese See: big wig big moneymaker See: cash cow 112 big money-maker See: big seller 121 big seller 121 See: cash cow 112 big shot See: big wig big wig biggie See: big wig big-time noun (to be a) See: small-time business 56 big-time (to be) See: small-time business 56 big-time business See: small-time business 56 bit 97 bitch (to) See: bitch session 186 bitch session 186 bitmap 203 bleed 144 blood, sweat and tears 13 blow a deal (to) 165 blowout sale 121 blue-collar worker 14 blurb 122 bonus 14 bookmark See: bookmark (to) 194 bookmark (to) 194 boot up one’s computer (to) See: reboot (to) 91 boot (to) 97 boot someone out (to) 14 See: can someone (to) booted offline (to get) See: bumped (to get) 194 boss lady See: big wig boss man See: big wig bow out (to) See: walk (to) 160 brainstorm (to) 178 brand 122 brand (to) See: brand 122 brass See: big wig breadwinner 44 break down (to) 165 See: go sour (to) 158 breaking new ground See: cutting edge 112 breeze (a) See: cush job 26 bring someone on board (to) See: come on board (to) 44 bring someone up to speed (to) 14 bring something to the table (to) 166 browser 194 buck for a raise (to) 14 buckle (to) See: cave (to) 156 buckle down (to) 14 bug 88 bump heads (to) See: see eye to eye (to) 159 bump up someone’s salary (to) See: pay hike (to give someone a) 28 bumped (to get) 194 bumped up (to get) 15 buried in one’s work (to be/get) See: workaholic 47 bust one’s ass (to) See: bust one's buns (to) 15 bust one’s buns (to) 15 bust one’s hump (to) See: bust one's buns (to) 15 busy little bee (to be a) See: busy as a beaver (to be as) 15 busy as a beaver (to be as) 15 buyout 144 byte See: bit 97 -C- cache 97 cakewalk (a) See: cush job 26 call a meeting to order (to) 179 call in sick (to) 15 call it a day (to) 15 call it a day early (to) See: knock off early (to) 27 call it a night (to) See: call it a day (to) 15 call it quits (to) 15 the SLANGMAN GUIDE TO biz call it quits early (to) See: knock off early (to) 27 call on someone (to) 186 call someone’s bluff (to) 166 called on the carpet (to get) can someone (to) caps 74 carve out a niche (to) 15 case-sensitive 203 cash cow 112 See: big seller 121 casting vote 186 catch phrase 134 catchy 134 caught short (to be) See: short-handed 46 cave (to) 156 cave in (to) See: cave (to) 156 CBS 74 cc someone (to) 66 CD 98 CD-ROM See: CD 98 CEO 75 CFO 67 change one’s tune (to) See: cave (to) 156 chat 203 chatroom See: chat 203 chewed out (to get) See: called on the carpet (to get) chief See: big wig chip 98 CIA 75 cinch (a) See: cush job 26 circular 135 circulation 144 clearance sale 122 click (to) 98 clinch a deal (to) See: hammer out a deal (to) 158 clip art See: clipart 88 clipart 88 close a deal (to) See: hammer out a deal (to) 158 close-out sale 122 CNN 75 cold call 135 come around (to) See: cave (to) 156 come back with something (to) 166 come down (to) 166 come in high (to) 157 come on board (to) 44 come to a standstill (to) See: at a standstill (to be) 156 come-on See: hook 113 commercial spot See: spot 138 compact disc See: CD 98 computer buff See: computer hacker 89 computer crash See: crash (to) 89 computer hacker 89 computerese 99 conference call 186 connectivity 203 convenience store 122 COO 75 cookie 204 co-op advertising 145 copy 145 copy someone on something (to) 16 corner the market 123 corrupted (to be) 99 cost a pretty penny (to) See: come in high (to) 157 cost an arm and a leg (to) See: come in high (to) 157 cost next to nothing (to) See: come in high (to) 157 cover for someone (to) 16 CPA 67 CPC 144 CPM 144 CPU 99 crash (to) 89 cry/say uncle (to) See: cave (to) 156 CTR 145 cush job 26 cushy job See: cush job 26 cut a deal (to) 166 See: hammer out a deal (to) 158 See: wheel and deal (to) 160 cut and paste (to) 90 cut back (to) 16 See: cutbacks 45 cut out early (to) See: knock off early (to) 27 cut out to be something (to be) 16 cut prices (to) See: slash prices (to) 127 cut to the bone (to) See: cutbacks 45 cut/roll back one’s prices (to) See: knock down one's price (to) 158 cutbacks 45 cutting edge 112 CYA 67 cybercafé 204 cyberspace 195 -D- DA 75 daily grind See: nine-to-five 45 speak data 99 daycare 16 dba 75 deadline deadlocked (to be) See: at a standstill (to be) 156 See: standoff (to be at a) 165 deadwood 16 dedicated line 204 default 99 demographics 113 designer 123 desk jockey 17 dialog box 99 dial-up 204 dicker (to) 167 See: wheel and deal (to) 160 direct mail See: direct response 135 direct response 135 dirt cheap (to be) See: come in high (to) 157 disc / disk 100 diskette See: floppy 90 a sell job on someone (to) 17 lunch (to) 186 something by the book (to) 17 dock someone’s pay (to) See: pay hike (to give someone a) 28 dog eat dog world (a) 17 domain name 204 don’t make waves 17 dot 205 double-truck 145 down (to be) 100 See: crash (to) 89 download (to) 205 downsize (to) 45 dpi 100 drive a hard bargain (to) 157 drive times 145 driver 100 drop (to) 123 drop out (to) See: walk (to) 160 drop the price (to) 167 DSL 205 DTP 101 -E- e.g 75 early bird gets the worm (the) 17 eaten up by one’s work (to be/get) See: workaholic 47 e-commerce 205 elbow grease 17 electronic junk mail See: spam 115 email (to) See: Email / email / E-mail / e-mail 195 Email / email / E-mail / e-mail 195 emoticon 206 226 index enc / encl 76 encryption 206 end-user 123 ER 76 ESPN 76 Esq 76 exec See: big wig extras See: perks 29 eye-catcher 136 eye-catching See: eye-catcher 136 e-zine 146 -F- 404 202 fall apart (to) See: go sour (to) 158 fall through (to) 167 See: go sour (to) 158 FAQ 76 fax 77 FBI 77 features 146 FedEx (to) 68 fence-mending (to some) 18 file 101 fill-in for someone (to) 18 fixed drive/disc/disk See: hard drive 90 floor See: the floor (to have) 182 floppy 90 flunky 18 fly by the seat of one’s pants (to) See: seat-of-the-pants operation 55 fly-by-night operation 18 flyer See: circular 135 focus group 123 follow-up (to) See: follow-up meeting 179 follow-up meeting 179 font 101 freeware 101 freeze (to) 101 See: crash (to) 89 fringe benefits See: perks 29 fulfillment house 123 FYI 68 -G- generic 124 get booted off (to) See: reboot (to) 91 get canned (to) See: can someone (to) get cracking (to) get down to brass tacks (to) 18 get down to business (to) See: get down to brass tacks (to) 18 227 get in bed with someone (to) 167 get one’s foot in the door (to) 18 get the ball rolling (to) See: get cracking (to) get the boot (to) See: boot someone out (to) 14 get the raw end of the deal (to) 167 get the show on the road (to) See: get cracking (to) GIF 206 gigabyte See: bit 97 give a little (to) 167 give and take 168 give away the farm (to) 168 give in/up (to) See: cave (to) 156 give someone the axe (to) See: axe someone (to) 13 See: can someone (to) give someone the boot (to) See: can someone (to) give someone the heave-ho (to) 18 giveaway 146 glitch See: bug 88 go along with what the other says (to) See: see eye to eye (to) 159 go on break (to) See: take a break (to) 57 go on the air to promote something (to) See: air something (to) 134 go on the airwaves to promote something (to) See: air something (to) 134 go sour (to) 158 go through the roof (to) See: skyrocket (to) 115 go to bat for someone (to) 168 go-between 157 gofer 19 going great guns (to be) 19 going-out-of-business sale See: close-out sale 122 gold mine 19 goldmine See: cash cow 112 grease monkey 19 grunt work 19 See: cush job 26 guppie See: yuppie 128 -H- hack out a deal (to) See: wheel and deal (to) haggle (to) See: dicker (to) hammer out a deal (to) See: wheel and deal (to) handle See: username hang it up (to) See: walk (to) 160 167 158 160 211 160 hard copy 90, 102 hard disc 102 hard disk/disc See: hard drive 90 hard drive 90 hard-hitting 136 hard-sell 136 hard-sell (to) See: hard-sell 136 hardware 102 hatchet man 19 have good contacts (to) 20 have one’s job on the line (to) 20 have the makings of something (to) See: cut out to be something (to be) 16 head and shoulders above the competition (to be) 20 head honcho See: big wig headhunter 27 health food 124 high price tag (it has a) See: come in high (to) 157 higher ups See: big wig highway robbery (to be) See: come in high (to) 157 hired gun 20 hired hand 20 hit 195 hit a dead end (to) See: at a standstill (to be) 156 hi-tech See: cutting edge 112 hi-tech 124 HMO 77 hold down a job (to) 27 homepage 196 hook 113 hook (to) See: hook 113 hoopla See: hype 113 host See: mainframe 103 hot link See: hyperlink 196 See: link 147 HR 68 HTML 206 hunt-and-peck typist 20 hustle and bustle See: rat race 46 hype 113 hype a product (to) See: hype 113 hyperlink 196 hypertext 207 -I- i.e 78 IBM 77 icon 102 the SLANGMAN GUIDE TO biz impression 146 in the loop (to be) 34 Inc 78 infomercial 137 insert See: stuffer 116 insert 124 Inter Relay Chat 207 interactive 207 Internet café See: cybercafé 204 InterNIC 207 IOU 78 ironclad (to be) 168 ISP 196 it’s a jungle out there 34 -J- jingle 137 job hunt (to) See: pound the pavement (to) job hunting (to go) See: pound the pavement (to) job opening 34 joint venture 34 jot something down (to) 34 joystick 102 JPEG 207 jump off the shelves (to) 124 jump through hoops (to) 35 junk Email See: spam 115 junk mail 124 -K- keyword 207 kilobyte See: bit 97 kiss up to someone (to) 35 knock down one’s price (to) 158 knock off early (to) 27 knock on doors (to) 35 knock on doors (to) See: pound the pavement (to) knock something around (to) See: brainstorm (to) 178 know the ropes (to) 35 knuckle under (to) See: cave (to) 156 kowtow (to) 35 -L- land a contract (to) See: land a job (to) 28 land a gig (to) See: land a job (to) 28 land a job (to) 28 land a nine-to-five (to) See: land a job (to) 28 land an account (to) 168 laptop 102 launch a product (to) 114 lay all one’s cards on the table (to) 168 lay off (to) 35 lay-off See: lay off (to) 35 lead time 36 leaflet See: circular 135 learn the ropes (to) See: know the ropes (to) 35 let someone go (to) 36 let someone walk away with something (to) 168 level playing field 169 line 114 line of business 36 See: nine-to-five 45 link 146 See: hyperlink 196 lite 125 loan-shark See: shark 55 lo-cal See: lite 125 lock horns (to) See: see eye to eye (to) 159 lock, stock and barrel 36 log on (to) 91 lurker 208 -M- ma-and-pa operation See: ma-and-pa shop 36 ma-and-pa shop 36 Mac 78 Madison Avenue 146 mail order 125 mailing list 208 mainframe 103 make a backup (to) See: backup 96 make a buck (to) 36 make a pitch (to) 187 make an honest buck (to) See: make a buck (to) 36 make big bucks (to) See: make a buck (to) 36 make cutbacks (to) See: cut back (to) 16 make it in (to) 36 market 125 marketing blitz 114 MD 78 megabyte See: bit 97 memo 69 mention 125 microchip See: chip 98 middleman See: go-between 157 minutes 179 misc 79 MO 79 modem 103 speak moderator 208 monitor 103 moonlight (to) 28 motion 180 mouse 103 mouse potato 208 move (to) 125, 180 multimedia 209 Murphy’s Law 37 -N- N/A 79 nail down the terms of an agreement (to) 169 NBA 79 NBC 79 need it yesterday (to) 37 negotiating table (the) 169 netiquette 209 network 103 network the computers (to) See: network 104 newsgroup 209 NFL 79 NHL 79 nine-to-five 45 nine-to-fiver See: breadwinner 44 no-brainer 37 no-win situation 169 NRA 79 -O- O.T (to do) See: overtime (to do) 38 OB-GYN 80 OBO 80 odd jobs 37 off the clock (to be) See: on the clock (to be) 38 off the record 37 offline / off-line See: online / on-line 197 OK 69 on lunch (to be) 37 on one’s toes (to be) 37 on the clock (to be) 38 on the job 38 on the market (to be) 125 on the same wavelength (to be) See: see eye to eye (to) 159 on the table (to put something) 180 online / on-line 197 OR 80 OT 69 out of order (to be) 187 out of the loop (to be) 38 outlet mall See: outlet store 126 outlet store 126 outsource (to) 38 over a barrel (to have someone) 170 overnight something (to) 38 228 index overtime (to do) 38 -P- P.R 147 P.S 81 pack it in (to) 52 pack it in early (to) See: knock off early (to) 27 pack up (to) See: pack it in (to) 52 paper trail 52 paper-pusher party 170 patch 104 pay cut 46 pay hike (to give someone a) 28 pay through the nose (to) See: come in high (to) 157 PC 91 PDA 104 peripherals 104 perks 29 PI 80 pick someone’s brain (to) 187 piece of cake See: cush job 26 pink slip 52 pirate 209 pirated See: pirate 209 pitch an idea (to) 187 pitch meeting See: pitch an idea (to) 187 plain-wrap See: generic 124 play hardball (to) 170 plug 126 plug away (to) See: work like a dog (to) 29 plug away at something (to) 52 plug-and-play 104 PO 80 pooh-pooh an idea (to) 187 post-it See: stickies 57 pound the pavement (to) power lunch 187 powwow 187 powwow (to) See: powwow 187 preferred customer 114 pricey See: come in high (to) 157 prime time 147 printout See: hard copy 90 product line See: line 114 proxy vote 187 pull (to) 137 pull one’s weight (to) pull out (to) See: walk (to) 160 229 pull some strings (to) 53 pull the plug on the project (to) 53 pull up a document / file (to) 105 push a product (to) 126 put a rush on something (to) 53 put an issue to bed (to) 188 put one’s heads together (to) 188 put one’s nose to the grindstone (to) 53 See: work like a dog (to) 29 put our heads together (to) See: brainstorm (to) 178 put someone on hold (to) 54 put someone/something on the map (to) 53 put something on the air (to) See: air something (to) 134 -Q- queue 105 -R- rack one’s brains (to) See: brainstorm (to) 178 racket 54 raked over the coals (to get) See: called on the carpet (to get) rat race 46 re: 81 reach 147 rebate 115 reboot (to) 91 reinvent the wheel (to) 54 residuals 147 revisit (to) 180 RN 81 Robert’s Rules of Order 188 rock-bottom See: rock-bottom offer 159 rock-bottom offer 159 rock-bottom prices 126 roll out a product (to) 127 rough 147 RSVP 81 run (to) 147 run an ad (to) 137 run off something (to) 54 run the show (to) 54 -S- sacked (to get) 55 sale-a-bration 127 sale-a-thon See: sale-a-bration 127 sales pitch 127 salt mines See: nine-to-five 45 SASE 148 scab 170 scab (to) See: scab 170 screen name See: username 211 scuttlebutt 55 seal a deal (to) See: hammer out a deal (to) 158 search engine 209 seat-of-the-pants operation 55 second (to) 181 see eye to eye (to) 159 sell like crazy/mad (to) See: sell like hotcakes (to) 127 sell like hotcakes (to) 127 server See: mainframe 103 set up shop (to) 55 share (to) 188 shareware 105 shark 55 shoo-in 55 shoot See: shoot (to) 148 shoot (to) 148 short-handed (to be) 46 shouting 210 show of hands (a) 188 sick day 56 sickout 171 sit-down strike 171 site See: website 198 skirt the issue (to) 56 skyrocket (to) 115 slack off (to) 56 slacker See: slack off (to) 56 slant See: slant (to) 148 slant (to) 148 slash prices (to) 127 slave driver slot 148 small-time business 56 small-time operator See: small-time business 56 snailmail See: Email - email / E-mail / e-mail 195 snap (a) See: cush job 26 soft-sell See: hard-sell 136 spam 115 SPCA 81 spider 210 spin 148 spoof 149 spoof (to) See: spoof 149 spot 138 spread 149 square deal 171 stalemale (to be at a) See: standoff (to be at a) 165 stand adjourned (to) 181 standoff (to be at a) 165 standstill (to be at a) See: standoff (to be at a) 165 the SLANGMAN GUIDE TO biz state-of-the-art See: cutting edge 112 station break 149 step out (to) 57 stet 57 stick to one’s guns (to) 171 stickies 57 stonewall (to) 188 storyboard 149 streaming 210 strike (to be on) 171 strike a deal (to) See: hammer out a deal (to) 158 strip mall 127 stuffer 116 surf the Net (to) 197 swallowed up by one’s work (to be/ get) See: workaholic 47 sweeps 149 sweeten the deal (to) 172 sysop 210 -T- TA 81 table the discussion (to) 181 take a big bite out of one’s paycheck (to) 57 take a break (to) 57 take a letter (to) 57 take a meeting (to) 188 take a sick day (to) See: call in sick (to) 15 take it or leave it (to) 172 take lunch (to) 57 take on (to) 58 taken over by one’s work (to be/get) See: workaholic 47 talk a good game (to) 58 target 150 tear sheet 150 techie 105 techspeak 105 telemarketing 128 televise (to) See: air something (to) 134 temp 81 terabyte See: bit 97 test-market (to) 128 the ayes have it 181 the chair recognizes name 182 the floor (to have) 182 the information superhighway See: cyberspace 195 the leading edge See: cutting edge 112 the Web See: cyberspace 195 thread 210 throw in something (to) 172 throw in the towel (to) See: cave (to) 156 throw someone out on his/her ear (to) 58 throwaway 150 thumbnail 197 tied up (to be) 58 tie-in 116 to take out an ad See: run an ad (to) 137 top brass See: big wig top dog See: big wig top-of-the-line See: cutting edge 112 tow the line (to) See: pull one's weight (to) traffic 198 trenches See: nine-to-five 45 trim the fat (to) 58 See: downsize (to) 45 Trojan horse See: virus 91 troubleshoot (to) See: troubleshooter 59 troubleshooter 59 typo 59, 82 -U- under the gun (to be) See: deadline underbid (to) See: undercut (to) 159 undercut (to) 159 undersell (to) See: undercut (to) 159 up to par (to be) 59 upload (to) 211 UPS 82 URL 198 Usenet 211 user-friendly 106 username 211 -V- vaporware 106 video conference 188 VIP 82 virus 91 voice-over 150 VP 69 -W- walk (to) 59, 160 walk out (to) See: walk (to) 160 walking papers 59 water cooler gossip 59 watercooler gossip See: scuttlebutt 55 speak way up there (to be) See: come in high (to) 157 wear several different hats (to) 46 web master 211 webring 211 website 198 websurf (to) See: surf the Net (to) 197 what one does See: nine-to-five 45 wheel and deal (to) 160 wheeler and dealer (a) See: wheel and deal (to) 160 white sale 128 wind it up early (to) See: knock off early (to) 27 win-win situation 160 word-of-mouth 138 word-of-mouth advertising See: word-of-mouth 138 work graveyard (to) work like a dog (to) 29 work like a maniac (to) See: work like a dog (to) 29 work like crazy (to) See: work like a dog (to) 29 work like mad (to) See: work like a dog (to) 29 work odd jobs (to) 60 work one’s fingers to the bone (to) 60 work one’s head off (to) See: work like a dog (to) 29 work out a deal (to) See: hammer out a deal (to) 158 work someone down (to) 172 work swing shift (to) See: work graveyard (to) work the graveyard shift (to) See: work graveyard (to) workaholic 47 workhorse (to be a) 60 working stiff 60 See: breadwinner 44 worm See: virus 91 wound up in one’s work (to be/get) See: workaholic 47 wrap it up early (to) See: knock off early (to) 27 write-protected 106 WYSIWYG 106 -X- Xerox something (to) 60 -Y- yea See: aye You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours yuppie yuppified (to be) See: yuppie 178 172 128 128 230 Telephone: 818-845-6462 / Fax: 413-647-1589 Email: info@slangman.com / Website: www.slangman.com Telephone: 818-845-6462 / Fax: 413-647-1589 Email: info@slangman.com / Website: www.slangman.com Telephone: 818-845-6462 / Fax: 413-647-1589 Email: info@slangman.com / Website: www.slangman.com ... These oral exercises are designed to help you to begin speaking and thinking like a native iii table of contents iv the SLANGMAN GUIDE TO biz speak v table of contents vi the SLANGMAN GUIDE TO. .. operator, driver, conductor) General Workplace Slang & Idioms (A-H) the SLANGMAN GUIDE TO biz speak B CONTEXT EXERCISE (Answers on p 217 ) Read the short conversations Decide whether the slang. .. CD-A: track 11 General Workplace Slang & Idioms (A-H) the SLANGMAN GUIDE TO biz speak D COMPLETE THE PHRASE (Answers on p 217 ) Complete the phrase by choosing the appropriate word from the list