| Idiom/Saying | Explanation |
|---|---|
| To bring home the bacon. For example: "He felt it was his responsibility to bring home the bacon." |
To earn a living for the family. |
To balance the books. For examples: "The accountant couldn't work out the profit and loss until they had balanced the books." |
To make certain that the amount of money spent is not more than the amount of money received. |
A ball park figure. For example: "Until we had costed the project properly we were only able to give the customer a ball park figure." |
A general financial figure. |
A bean-counter. For example: "The bean-counters told us we had to reduce the budget." |
An accountant |
| Blood on the carpet . For example: "After the meeting there was blood on the carpet. " |
A lot of trouble in an organisation often resulting in someone losing their job. |
The bottom line. For example: "When he told me the bottom line I decided not to go ahead with the project." |
The total, the final figure on a balance sheet / the most important feature of something.
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To break even. For example: "The company broke even after two years." |
When expenses equal profits.
|
A cash cow. For example: "The new product has proved to be a real cash cow." |
A product or service that makes a lot of money for a company. |
Chief cook and bottle washer. For example: "If you want to set up your own business you have to be ready to be chief cook and bottle washer." |
To be the person who is responsible for everything. |
| A big cheese. For example: "Anita Roddick is a big cheese in Body Shop." |
An important person, a leader (usually about business). |
To cold call. For example: "The sales rep cold called customers from the business directory. |
To call potential customers without an appointment or previous contact. |
To cook the books. For example: "We only made a profit last year because our accountant cooked the books." |
To modify financial statements and accounting information, especially illegally. |
| "To crack the whip ." For example: "We finished the project on time, but only because I really cracked the whip." |
To make someone work harder by threatening them. |
A dead end job. For example: "She left the company because she was very ambitious but in a dead end job." |
A job that has no chance of promotion or advancement. |
To be fired For example: |
To be dismissed from your job. |
A golden handshake. For example: "She won't have to find a job very quickly because she got a huge golden handshake from her last job." |
To receive a large payment on leaving a company. |
Jack / Jill of all trades (master / mistress of none). This idiom can be negative or positive, depending on the context in which it is used. For example: "She can turn her hand to anything, she's a real Jill of all trades." |
A person that is competent with many skills but is not outstanding in any particular one. |
To get the sack For example: "He was always coming late, so eventually they sacked him." |
To be dismissed from your job. |
A close shave. For example: "I nearly crashed the car this morning, it was a close shave." |
When you come extremely close to a dangerous or unpleasant situation or only just manage to avoid it. |
To be snowed under For example: "She wasn't able to finish the report as she was snowed under with other work." |
To be very busy. |
To sweat blood. For example: "She sweated blood to finish the project on time." |
To work very hard. |
| By the sweat of one's brow. For example: "She managed to keep the company going by the sweat of her brow. " |
To work really hard. |
To work your fingers to the bone. For example: "She kept the family together by working her fingers to the bone." |
To work really hard.
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| More idioms and sayings | |