Get your skates on
8 juin 2011 //"The new assistant was so slow in getting things done that her manager felt he had to tell her to get her skates on when he realised that things were far from being ready for his trip the following week." Get your skates on is used as an informal way of tell-ing people to hurry up. La nouvelle assistante était si lente à effectuer les tâches que son manager se sentit obliger de lui dire de ...
Dernières news
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There's always tomorrow
8 juin 2011 //"He was struggling to find the solution and every one of his attempts failed miserably. He though...
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What goes around comes around
8 juin 2011 //"« What goes around comes around » thought Alice, when one of her colleagues who never helped any...
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To throw the towel in
8 juin 2011 //"One of the most valuable qualities a person can have is dedication - not throwing the towel in w...
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If something goes in one ear and out of the other
8 juin 2011 //"I’m not sure my manager wants to increase my salary. It seems that each time we discuss the subj...
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You leave someone to something
8 juin 2011 //"The successful manager-coach helps their employees to understand and take ownership of the tas...
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You follow up
8 juin 2011 //"Once you have applied for a job it is important that you follow up with the company by phone or ...
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You lay someone off
8 juin 2011 //"A lot of people have been laid off during the recession as demand has fallen and companies have ...
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To get ahead
8 juin 2011 //"If you want to get ahead in your job, you need to show your motivation, capabilities and achieve...
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You squeeze in
8 juin 2011 //"In today’s business world, there is a lot of pressure to squeeze in as much work as possible dur...
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To move something along
8 juin 2011 //"It’s important that a project manager keeps in contact with his team to make sure that things ke...
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You stick to something
8 juin 2011 //"Almost everyone claims to be a problem-solver but it can be very difficult to stick to a task wh...
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You burn your bridges
8 juin 2011 //"We weren’t particularly pleased when Naike told us she wanted to leave the company last week, bu...
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You live up to
8 juin 2011 //"The new boss has really lived up to expectations. Her energy and new ideas have made an incredib...
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If you have someone’s say so
8 juin 2011 //"Before we can go ahead with the project, we need the boss’ say so." If you have someone’s say s...
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You go back on
8 juin 2011 //"UK businesses have welcomed the government’s decision to go back on its pledge to impose a limit...
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You have a lot of irons in the fire
8 juin 2011 //"When you are looking for work, make sure you are applying for advertised positions and sending...
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You strike a happy medium
8 juin 2011 //"The secret to successfully concluding negotiations is to strike a happy medium between the needs...
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You strike while the iron is hot
8 juin 2011 //"Now we have finally got agreement from the unions over these changes to working practices, we ne...
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You tell it like it is
8 juin 2011 //"Communication and openness amongst team members is very important. It’s essential that they feel...
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You take something out on someone
8 juin 2011 //"If there is a lack of transparency at work and your boss is not treating you fairly, it is often...
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You weigh up the pros and cons of something
8 juin 2011 //"HR have spent a lot of time in meetings to weigh up the pros and cons of outsourcing their recru...
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Someone is on top form
8 juin 2011 //"If you don’t feel on top form at work it is important to tell your boss so it doesn’t adversely ...
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You are sure of yourself
8 juin 2011 //"Preparation is key to an interview. Research the company; consider how your skills and experie...
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You put someone on the spot
8 juin 2011 //"Recruiters often try to put candidates on the spot during a job interview to see how they reacte...
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You have an off-day
8 juin 2011 //"One of the human sides of being a good manager is realizing that members of your team can have o...
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You speak your mind
8 juin 2011 //"Dave is very open when it comes to asking his team for their feedback during meetings. He always...
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You come around
8 juin 2011 //"It has been a difficult consultation process, but the workforce seems to be finally coming aroun...
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You get down to
8 juin 2011 //"Now we have recruited the last member of the team, we can get down to growing the business." Yo...
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You are glad to see the back of someone or something
8 juin 2011 //"With all our financial problems and the people we have had to make redundant due to the economic...
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To put oneself in someone else’s shoes
8 juin 2011 //"A classic interview technique is to ask the candidate to put themselves in the post-holder’s sho...
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You get an idea or message across
8 juin 2011 //"The most successful presentations are the ones which get their message across in the simplest wa...
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A person asks for trouble
8 juin 2011 //"Changing the company’s pension rules without consulting the unions first is just asking for tro...
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The ball is in your court
8 juin 2011 //"The management have made a reasonable offer over pay and conditions to the union. Now, the ball ...
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Someone or something oils the wheels
8 juin 2011 //"Using your personal and professional networks when looking for a job can help oil the wheels dur...
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You get the ball rolling
8 juin 2011 //"We’ve waited long enough. We need to organise a meeting with the union representatives to get th...
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You give someone the nod
8 juin 2011 //"Once the boss has given the new recruitment process the nod, we can start to implement the chang...
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To see the light of day
8 juin 2011 //"It’s all very well talking about the theory behind these new practices, but when are any of thes...
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Someone means business
8 juin 2011 //"People didn't take him too seriously when he began, but with the kind of results he is getting n...
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You keep someone up to date
8 juin 2011 //"Even though he is on holiday, the boss wants to be kept up to date on how the takeover of our bi...
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The writing is on the wall
8 juin 2011 //"I lost my job but should have realised that the writing was on the wall when the company sacked ...
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To call something off
8 juin 2011 //"A last minute agreement between management and workers means that the union is going to call off...
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A sticking point
8 juin 2011 //"It was the ideal job as it matched my qualifications, experience and objectives exactly. The onl...
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To hang on (someone's) everyone word
8 juin 2011 //"Mr Smith is such a charismatic speaker that when he speaks in public, his audience hangs on his ...
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A person has a way with
8 juin 2011 //"It's easy to see why Jeremy has become the new Head of Human Resources – he has a real way with ...
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A person/group/project gets the lion's share
8 juin 2011 //"Despite Japanese firms having invested throughout Europe, the lion's share has gone to the UK on...
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You put someone on the spot
8 juin 2011 //"José knew the importance of research and preparing well before a job interview to make sure that...
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At the end of the day
8 juin 2011 //"We have already invested 10 million francs in the new HR management system. If we need to spen...
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To keep one's spirits up
8 juin 2011 //"It can be difficult to persevere and keep your spirits up when looking for work if you are const...
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To stand one's ground
8 juin 2011 //"To maintain your credibility, it is important to stand your ground if you really believe in som...
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You get back to
8 juin 2011 //"Now the distraction of the election is over, the Government can get back to running the country,...
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You call it a day
8 juin 2011 //"We've been trying to finish this report since we arrived this morning. I can't see what the pr...
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To think something up
8 juin 2011 //"Since the new boss started, he has thought up a lot of new ways to cut costs and save money." T...
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You do not have the heart
8 juin 2011 //"The boss knew right away that Judith wasn't the right person to fill the job vacancy but didn't ...
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A team player
8 juin 2011 //"These days, most job advertisements seem to emphasise the importance of being a team player almo...
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You keep a clean sheet
8 juin 2011 //"Julien has just had his final written warning. He has to keep a clean sheet from now on because ...
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You cry foul
8 juin 2011 //"Jeremy was in such a strong position and so confident of getting the promotion that he cried fou...
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You wrong foot someone
8 juin 2011 //"Preparation is the key to a successful job interview. Research the company and predict likely ...
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You play for time
8 juin 2011 //"Management are playing for time by refusing to meet the union to discuss the strike. They are ho...
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You know the score
8 juin 2011 //"Before signing an employment contract, it's important that you know the score for things like yo...
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You score an own goal
8 juin 2011 //"The Government has scored an own goal with its new law giving temporary workers the same rights ...
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You say someone has moved the goalposts
8 juin 2011 //"The worst thing about job hunting for me is when I seem to fulfil all the requirements for the...
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A game plan
8 juin 2011 //"To achieve an objective you need a game plan and, just as importantly, you need to stick to it."...
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To give someone the boot
8 juin 2011 //"Melanie was a good worker but in the end we had to give her the boot as the financial crisis mea...
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A level playing field
8 juin 2011 //"Although anyone could have theoretically applied for the job vacancy, it was never really a leve...
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You blow the whistle
8 juin 2011 //"Companies have a duty to protect employees who blow the whistle on dishonest colleagues." You ...
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To take one's eye off the ball means to lose your concentration a ...
8 juin 2011 //"The project wasn't a success because I took my eye off the ball when it mattered most and as a r...
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A dark horse
8 juin 2011 //"Everyone thinks that Guy will get the post of Managing Director. Personally, I think the great...
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To be under one's spell
8 juin 2011 //"I am a little worried about the boss' new secretary. He seems to be completely under her spell a...
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Someone is on top of something
8 juin 2011 //"When you start a new job, you need to be realistic with yourself – don't expect to get on top of...
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To put all one's eggs in the same basket
8 juin 2011 //"When applying for a job, it's important not to put all your eggs in one basket. Make sure you ha...
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To be beside oneself (with anger or excitement)
8 juin 2011 //"Our boss was beside himself with rage when he heard that our competitors had managed to launch ...
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Someone gets to grips with a problem or situation
8 juin 2011 //"Making a list of priority tasks to do is the first step in getting to grips with a heavy workloa...
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To shoot oneself in the foot
8 juin 2011 //"Despite sending an anonymous letter of complaint to the press about her company, it was obvio...
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You get cold feet
8 juin 2011 //"The Government are getting cold feet about their plans to announce the public spending cuts befo...
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To give someone credit for something
8 juin 2011 //"As a manager, it's important to give your staff credit: for doing a good job so they feel that t...
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To make ends meet
8 juin 2011 //"Now the economy is improving, it is hard to believe that it was only 6 months ago that the com...
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Someone or something slips through your fingers
8 juin 2011 //"This opportunity to work abroad is too important for your career prospects to let it slip throug...
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Someone or something is on their last legs
8 juin 2011 //"This week has been terrible. I have had so many meetings and deadlines to meet that I'm glad it'...
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You hear something from the horse's mouth
8 juin 2011 //"There is no point making a decision based upon rumours and office gossip. We need to wait until ...
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Someone is thick skinned
8 juin 2011 //"One of the most important qualities to have as a manager is to be thick-skinned enough to deal w...
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To fall on one's feet
8 juin 2011 //"I really fell on my feet when I got this new job - I have got more responsibility, a better sala...
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Something is a white elephant
8 juin 2011 //"This new computer system is a white elephant – it was supposed to be an improvement on the old o...
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Someone beats around the bush
8 juin 2011 //"In a job interview it is very important that you never beat around the bush when it comes to des...
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To put one's house in order
8 juin 2011 //"Avoid post-holiday blues by putting your house in order before you go – plan ahead by checking y...
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To flog a dead horse
8 juin 2011 //"We are flogging a dead horse with this project proposal. There is no way that the management are...
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To be at someone's beck and call
8 juin 2011 //"The worst kind of employee is one who expects everyone else to be at their beck and call wheneve...
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To be at the back of one's mind
8 juin 2011 //"In any job interview you need to ensure that any past mistakes you have made in the same situati...
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To let the cat out of the bag
8 juin 2011 //"He really let the cat out of the bag when he sent that email to everybody!" To let the cat out ...
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At first glance
8 juin 2011 //"At first glance, this proposal doesn't seem very promising, but if you read it carefully, it has...
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You wrong foot
8 juin 2011 //"The government announcement that unemployment had fallen for the first time in 18 months comple...
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Time and again
8 juin 2011 //"Time and again, governments have failed to tackle the issue of companies discriminating against ...
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Here and now
8 juin 2011 //"Instead of staying in the here and now during meetings, Christine always goes back to talking a...
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For the time being
8 juin 2011 //"I think you should stay in the Paris office for the time being, but next year we'll probably tra...
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An idea or action goes against the grain
8 juin 2011 //"Restricting bankers bonuses goes against the grain of the government's principle of non-interfe...
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To have a good mind to do something
8 juin 2011 //"If I don't get promoted after all my hard work, success and overtime, I have a good mind to res...
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Something will stand one in good stead
8 juin 2011 //"Doing this HR management course now will stand me in good stead for my future with the company."...
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To make one's mind up
8 juin 2011 //"I haven't got enough information to decide now, so I need to speak to HR before I can make my m...
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To be as plain as day
8 juin 2011 //"It's as plain as day that this is the best plan – none of the other ideas come close in terms of...
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To say/do something for the umpteenth time
8 juin 2011 //"I think we have to give David a formal written warning as it is the umpteenth time I have had to...
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To put something on the backburner
8 juin 2011 //"In any recession, it's important for companies to maintain their training programme and avoid th...
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To get the wrong end of the stick
8 juin 2011 //"He never listens properly, so it's no surprise he is always getting the wrong end of the stick."...
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You are in the dark
8 juin 2011 //"We are completely in the dark about these rumours that we are going to cut more jobs." You are ...
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To be ahead of the game
8 juin 2011 //"Google has a history of being ahead of the game when it comes to new, innovative working practic...
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To (not) put one's finger on something
8 juin 2011 //"David couldn't quite put his finger on what was responsible for the loss of the contract." To (...
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Someone is throwing money down the drain
8 juin 2011 //"With all the changes in the company we have had recently, this project is finished. Any more in...
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Something is in the bag
8 juin 2011 //"We'll get the contract, no problem. It's in the bag!" Something is in the bag when you are cer...
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To scrape the bottom of the barrel
8 juin 2011 //"Our recruitment agency is really scraping the bottom of the barrel. They haven’t sent us any qua...
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There are no two ways about something
8 juin 2011 //"There are no two ways about it. We have to make some people redundant if we want to survive this...
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A knee-jerk reaction
8 juin 2011 //"Although results are bad at the moment, it’s important to avoid any knee jerk reaction like dism...
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To drive a hard bargain
8 juin 2011 //"He's a great negotiator. He always drives a hard bargain and that is why he's so successful at b...
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To drive someone up the wall
8 juin 2011 //"What really annoys me is when we interview candidates who have no idea what our company does b...
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To get down to the nitty-gritty
8 juin 2011 //"They spent a long time discussing unimportant issues before they got down to the nitty-gritty of...
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To call it a day
8 juin 2011 //"As she has just reached her 65th birthday, the HR Director has decided to call it a day." To c...
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To break the ice
8 juin 2011 //"The main idea behind the new Chief Executive's decision to have a meeting with all the staff on ...
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To keep something under wraps
8 juin 2011 //"This product launch is so big and so important that it's going to be difficult to keep it under ...
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To put one's cards on the table
8 juin 2011 //"If people are going to lose their jobs, a good HR manager should put their cards on the table so...
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To be in a quandary about something
8 juin 2011 //"I’m in a quandary about what to do. The job with Smith Industries is more interesting, but the s...
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To get to the bottom of a problem
8 juin 2011 //"We won’t be able to solve the problem without getting to the bottom of it." To get to the botto...
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To do something over someone’s head
8 juin 2011 //"He was disciplined for trying to go over his boss’s head." To do something over someone’s head ...
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To come to a head
8 juin 2011 //"All the problems at work really came to a head when half of the Marketing department lost their ...
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Time will tell
8 juin 2011 //"Only time will tell if we did the right thing by deciding to outsource our recruitment process."...
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To stop the rot
8 juin 2011 //"There was so much conflict in the office that they had to appoint a new manager to stop the rot....
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The pick of the bunch
8 juin 2011 //"After interviewing all the candidates, I think Alex is the pick of the bunch. Let’s offer him th...
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Quick fix
8 juin 2011 //"There is no quick fix to our problems. We will have to completely restructure the company." Qui...
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To see light at the end of the tunnel
8 juin 2011 //"Sales were very bad last year but we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel." T...
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To fine-tune something
8 juin 2011 //"We are still fine-tuning the website so it won’t be online for another week." To fine-tune some...
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To go through the roof
8 juin 2011 //"The boss will go through the roof when he hears that Sam left without finishing that report." T...
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To hold the fort for someone
8 juin 2011 //"My business partner is holding the fort while I am on holiday." To hold the fort for someone T...
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To undermine someone's position or authority
8 juin 2011 //"She is accusing some of the directors of trying to undermine her position in the company." To u...
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By and large
8 juin 2011 //"By and large, our new HR policy document has been well received by everyone." By and large Use...
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A matter of time
8 juin 2011 //"The worst of the recession is over now. It's only a matter of time before things start improving...
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In next to no time
8 juin 2011 //"Sandra's such a quick learner that she'll be able to do her job alone in next to no time." In n...
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To be (not) on the spur of the moment
8 juin 2011 //"It wasn't a spur of the moment decision. We discussed it in detail beforehand." To be (not) on ...
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To put something on the table
8 juin 2011 //"We're going to put this new pay offer on the table when we see them next week." To put somethin...
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(A) catch-22 (situation)
8 juin 2011 //"I can’t get a job without a valid work permit and I can’t get a work permit without a job. It’s ...
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To be as plain as day
8 juin 2011 //"It's as plain as day that this is the best plan – none of the other ideas come close in terms of...
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To get one's teeth into something
8 juin 2011 //"With the responsibility and projects I have been given, I have finally found a job I can really ...
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To stick at something
8 juin 2011 //"Sarah hasn't found a job yet but, she's going to stick at it, despite her lack of interviews." ...
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To chase someone up
8 juin 2011 //"I hate having to chase other people up to make sure that they have done what they promised to do...
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Something or someone can turn up
8 juin 2011 //"If no problems turn up once we have looked at Josephine's references, we'll offer her the job."...
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To bring in
8 juin 2011 //"We don't have the knowledge to make an informed decision so we'll have to bring in management co...
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To run out of something (eg ideas, time, patience, money, resourc ...
8 juin 2011 //"In an interview, you need to make sure that you ask the candidate all the questions you need to ...
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To turn down a request or offer
8 juin 2011 //"We asked our employees to accept a pay cut but they turned down our request. This means that we ...
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A career, a product, an activity can take off
8 juin 2011 //"Business has really taken off since last year, so we are planning to hire new people for 1 Janua...
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To look into
8 juin 2011 //"Once we have selected the right candidate for the job, we need to look into their background and...
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To be laid off
8 juin 2011 //"Since the beginning of the recession, a lot of people have been laid off as companies have reduc...
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To fill someone in on something
8 juin 2011 //"The CEO wants to have a meeting tomorrow to fill us in on all the organisational changes which w...
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To hand over something to someone
8 juin 2011 //"Philippe needs to delegate more responsibility to his staff – he should try handing over some of...
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To step down from a job/position
8 juin 2011 //"As the Head of Finance has too much work to do, he has decided to step down from some of the com...
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To take people on
8 juin 2011 //"We're not going to take on any new people until business improves. We can't take the risk of not...
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To pile up
8 juin 2011 //"I really need to find a Personal Assistant to help me. I have so much to do and the work just ke...
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To be tied up with someone or something
8 juin 2011 //"I'm sorry I haven't be able to see you for ages. I've been tied up at work." To be tied up with...
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To have teething problems/troubles
8 juin 2011 //"As the project manager explained, there are still some teething problems to overcome before we c...
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To get rid of something
8 juin 2011 //"We haven't got the space to keep all our records. We'll have to decide which ones to keep and wh...
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To let off steam
8 juin 2011 //"This team-building exercise will be a great way for everyone to let off steam and relax." To le...
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To have an edge/give an edge
8 juin 2011 //"With all her experience in HR, I think Alexandra has the edge over the other candidates for this...
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To make a point of something/of doing something
8 juin 2011 //"In the current crisis, managers need to make a point of explaining the reasons for their decisio...
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To be up in the air
8 juin 2011 //"The decision over how many people to recruit is still up in the air, although we know we have to...
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To clear the air
8 juin 2011 //"There's a lot of mistrust and bad feeling amongst the staff at the moment. We should organise a ...
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To wipe the slate clean
8 juin 2011 //"Now he has explained the reasons for his unacceptable behaviour, we can wipe the slate clean so ...
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The acid test
8 juin 2011 //"The training course was very interesting but the acid test will come when I start my new job." ...
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To go, run or behave like clockwork
8 juin 2011 //"She is a great manager and organiser. Everything runs like clockwork when she is in charge." To...
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To explore all avenues
8 juin 2011 //"We can't say it's impossible until we've explored all avenues." To explore all avenues To try ...
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To get one's act together
8 juin 2011 //"Our great financial results this quarter show that since we restructured the company last year, ...
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To think on one's feet
8 juin 2011 //"A good manager needs to be able to think on their feet so they can reacte to changing circumstan...
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To leave no stone unturned
8 juin 2011 //"The management left no stone unturned in their efforts to find a solution to the crisis." To le...
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To mean business
8 juin 2011 //"The new HR director is not wasting any time reorganising the department. He really means busines...
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To (not) be up to par
8 juin 2011 //"He didn't get the job because his English wasn't up to par." To (not) be up to par To (not) me...
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To miss the boat
8 juin 2011 //"My application didn't arrive in time so I missed the boat when it came to the job in Zürich." T...
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To be the front-runner
8 juin 2011 //"Paul is the front runner to get promotion" To be the front-runner To be the favourite. Dans l...
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To rise to the occasion
8 juin 2011 //"Despite this credit crunch, our great results show that we have managed to rise to the occasion....
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To be out of the picture
8 juin 2011 //"This person is by far (and away) the best candidate. The others are out of the picture." To be ...
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A win-win situation
8 juin 2011 //"If we go with this version of the contract, it's a win-win situation for everybody!" A win-win ...
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To work out
8 juin 2011 //"We need to work out what our employee needs will be for next year before deciding if we are goin...
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A foot in the door
8 juin 2011 //"The best way to get an interview is if you know someone who works there so you already have a fo...
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To turn a business around
8 juin 2011 //"Although we have had some problems, I think this new idea will really turn the business around. ...
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To put something off
8 juin 2011 //"I'm sorry. I can't see you today as I'm too busy. We'll have to put the meeting off until next w...
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To do some belt-tightening/to tighten one's belt
8 juin 2011 //"The current economic crisis means we need to save money. If we don't do some belt-tightening, we...
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To get a project, proposal, idea off the ground
8 juin 2011 //"Our team needs to get this project off the ground now. We have done the feasibility study and i...
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To pencil something in
8 juin 2011 //"Why don't we pencil the meeting in for next week. We can confirm it later." To pencil something...
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To throw someone in at the deep end
8 juin 2011 //"We have no time to prepare him for his new role. We have to throw him in at the deep end." To t...
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In the long-run
8 juin 2011 //"The short term prospects are not good, but in the long-run I think the project will be a success...
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To come out of the blue
8 juin 2011 //"The news of the factory closure came out of the blue. It was a complete surprise to everybody." ...
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