NOTE: You may also hear the variation: round the clock.

SYNONYMS: asleep at the switch; out to lunch

NOTE: There is also the related expression "at one's own expense," meaning to pay the cost oneself. Example: Fred wanted the job so badly, he was willing to fly to Atlanta for the interview at his own expense.

NOTE: This expression is now overused. You will likely hear it, but you may not want to use it.

SYNONYM: when all is said and done

NOTE: This expression refers to the quick calculations one would do informally, as on the back of an envelope.

NOTE: Saying one is "between jobs" sounds better than saying one is "unemployed."

NOTE: You will also hear the variation: above and beyond the call of duty.

SYNONYMS: head honcho; big cheese; VIP (very important person)

ORIGIN: This term comes from "big wig" -- the large wigs that English men wore in the 17th and 18th centuries. Men of great importance wore the biggest wigs.

ORIGIN: This idiom comes from the military. During the Civil War in the United States, doctors sometimes ran out of whiskey for killing the pain. A bullet would be put in the wounded soldier's mouth during surgery. He would "bite the bullet" to distract him from the pain and keep him quiet so the doctor could do his work in peace.

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!

NOTE: In accounting, the bottom line (the last line) of the income statement shows net income (the profit after deducting all expenses). This is one of the most important numbers for a company.

NOTE: There is also the expression "brainstorming session," in which a group gathers to come up with new ideas or to solve a problem.

ORIGIN: The junior branch of the Girl Scouts is called the Brownies. Brownies earn credit to then earn a badge by doing good deeds and tasks. When applied to adults, the meaning is sarcastic.

ORIGIN: This expression comes from the military. Soldiers dating back to the days of the Roman Empire used to burn the bridges behind them. This meant the Roman troops couldn't retreat; they had to keep moving forward. It also made it more difficult for the enemy to follow them.

ORIGIN: This expression dates back to the days before electricity, when oil lamps were used for lighting. People went to sleep earlier back then, so if you were still burning the oil at midnight, you were staying up late.

NOTE: A "niche" is the market segment served by a particular product, service, or product line.

NOTE: You will also see the related expression "compare apples to apples" which means to compare two things of the same type. This means that you are making a valid comparison, as opposed to when you're comparing apples to oranges.

NOTE: You may also hear the shorter variation of this expression: I'm in. Example: You're organizing a farewell party for Christine? I'm in.

NOTE: You may hear the more vulgar form of this expression: cover your ass, or the shortened version "CYA." Since "ass" is a vulgar word, some people use more polite variations of this expression, such as "cover your behind" and "cover your butt."

NOTE: You will also see the noun form of this expression, "number cruncher," used to describe somebody who makes a lot of financial calculations as part of his or her job.

ORIGIN: In action films, the "chase" refers to most exciting part, when the drama is at a high point. Some people may want the movie to get to this exciting part (in other words, cut to it) as soon as possible.

NOTE: This phrase refers to 180 degrees (half of the 360 degrees of a circle). If you turn 180 degrees, you've moved to the opposite direction.

ORIGIN: This expression dates back to the 1500's. Wild dogs were observed fighting aggressively over a piece of food. The connection was made that people, like dogs, often compete aggressively to get what they want.

ORIGIN: When a football player drops the ball, his team may lose the chance to score.

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

NOTE: "Buzz" is a popular word for "attention."

NOTE: "Grin" is another word for smile. "Bear" is to endure or tolerate.

NOTE: The word "guerrilla" refers to carrying on a war using independent bands of soldiers, who tend to use very aggressive and non-traditional tactics to win battles.

NOTE: The opposite of "the hard sell" is "the soft sell," which is a sales technique using little or no pressure.

ORIGIN: This expression comes from the 19th century. Those looking for a fight placed a chip on their shoulder. If an opponent knocked it off, the fight was on. Although that custom has ended, we still say an angry person has a chip on his or her shoulder.

NOTE: There is also the variation: to have too much on one's plate.

SYNONYM: he (or she) will get what's coming to him (or her)

NOTE: This phrase also means to stay indoors or to take shelter when the weather turns bad. Example: There's going to be a blizzard tonight. We'd better just hunker down.

NOTE: "Sworn" is the past perfect tense of "swear."

NOTE: Icing is the creamy glaze put on top of a cake to decorate it and make it sweeter. The cake is already good enough — putting icing on top is something extra which makes it even better.

SYNONYM: a done deal. Example: Boeing executives thought the new military contract was a done deal.

NOTE: This expression comes from the accounting practice of marking debits (subtractions to the account) in red and credits (additions to the account) in black. The opposite of "in the red" is "in the black," meaning profitable.

ORIGIN: A runner "jumps the gun" if he or she starts running before the starter's pistol has been fired.

NOTE: You will also see the variation: keep one's eves on the prize.

ORIGIN: A grindstone is a stone disk used for sharpening tools or grinding grain. To work the grindstone, you need to bend over it with your nose close to the stone.

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

NOTE: You will also see the phrase "kick-off meeting," meaning the first meeting to get a new project started.

NOTE: Kudos is the Greek word for "praise."

ORIGIN: This saying comes from another expression that you may also hear: the straw that broke the camel's back. When you load up a camel straw by straw, each individual straw doesn't weigh much. However, eventually, the load will get so heavy that one extra straw will break the camel's back. In the same way, people can tolerate small annoyances. But when there get to be too many, people finally get fed up and take action.

NOTE: Leapfrog is a popular children's game in which one child bends down and another jumps over him or her.

SYNONYM: to make a fortune

NOTE: Mince has two main meanings: in this expression, it means "to make less harsh." It also means "to chop foods into tiny pieces."

NOTE: A "buck" is slang for a "dollar."

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!

NOTE: The "gut" is both the intestines and stomach and also the innermost emotional response.

ORIGIN: After the penny, nickels and dimes are the smallest units of U.S. currency. Pennies, nickels, and dimes are common words in American English idioms related to money, finances, and value. Other examples of these expressions include:

1. pretty penny - see Lesson 9
2. dime a dozen - very common and of no special value
3. pinch pennies - to be careful with money
4. a penny saved is a penny earned — you will save money by being careful about how much you spend; it's wise to save your money

NOTE: The exact origins of this are unknown. This expression belongs to a class of fun expressions with sounds that repeat themselves. Other such expressions include: wishy-washy (see Lesson 8), itsy-bitsy (very small), fuddy-duddy (a boring, old-fashioned person), and mish-mash (a strange combination of things).

SYNONYM: no two ways about it

NOTE: You'll also hear the related expression: "Get off your high horse!" meaning to stop acting arrogant or superior.

NOTE: This expression is overused. You will likely hear it, but you may not want to use it.

NOTE: A chopping block is a piece of wood on which food or wood is chopped. Having your head" on the block would suggest that it is going to be cut off. Fortunately, the meaning here is not literal. If your head is on the chopping block, you might lose your job, but at least you'll still have your head!

ORIGIN: This expression comes from the world of poker. In the nineteenth century, a knife with a buckhorn handle (the "buck") was passed to the next dealer when it was his turn to give out the cards.

NOTE: You will also hear the variation: to pull one's own weight.

ORIGIN: This expression comes from the world of music. To increase the volume of a pipe organ, organists pull out stops (levers that control the volume).

SYNONYM: to carry something off

ORIGIN: This expression refers to removing a plug to make something stop working — when you pull the plug out of the wall, your appliance doesn't work. In the 19th century, when this term originated, the plug was for a toilet. To flush the toilet, you had to pull out a plug.

ORIGIN: In in the 17th and 18th centuries, men sometimes wore wigs. The "wool" refers to the wig (made of wool). Pulling the wool over the eyes made it impossible to see.

NOTE: You will also hear the variation: to press one's luck.

NOTE: The verb "to rally" has several definitions, but in this case means to "call together for a common goal or purpose." Troops is an informal way of describing a group of employees. The term comes from the military — a troop is a military unit.

ORIGIN: This expression comes from the days when people would send secret messages. When treated with a special substance like lemon juice, a secret message would appear between the lines of an ordinary looking letter. Therefore, when told to "read between the lines," you should look for the hidden meaning.

NOTE: "Headcount" is the number of people who work at an organization. Many companies do not like to say that they are "laying people off' as it can sound cold and insensitive. After all, people are involved. "Reducing headcount" gets around this problem. It sounds less personal and more scientific.

SYNONYM: to downsize

ORIGIN: In Ancient Roman times, a crown made of laurels (from the laurel tree) was a symbol of victory.

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

ORIGIN: This expression comes from the world of horse racing. It refers to a horse on which one has bet money and which comes close to winning but doesn't win.

NOTE: You will also hear the singular form: to run an idea by someone.

SYNONYM: running late

SYNONYM: to cut back one's hours

NOTE: You will also see the variation: handwriting on the wall.

ORIGIN: This expression was first used in the U.S. military during World War Two, meaning: you'd better follow regulations and behave yourself ("shape up"), or you're going to be sent overseas to a war zone ("ship out").

ORIGIN: In the days of slavery, the slave driver was the person who oversaw the slaves as they worked.

NOTE: Notice that the subject is "it" in the expression "it slipped my mind," making this the passive voice. It's like this unknown "it" is responsible for the fact that you forgot to do something. In contrast, "I forgot" is the active voice. You are taking more responsibility (and possibly more blame) when you say, "I forgot."

NOTE: "Sob" means cry.

NOTE: This expression comes from baseball. You step up to the plate (a plastic mat on the ground) when it's your turn to hit the ball.

NOTE: This expression comes from the practice of kids hanging up stockings that Santa Claus fills (or "stuffs") with small gifts.

SYNONYM: to have a go at something

ORIGIN: Dating back to Ancient Greek times, a cake was a popular prize given to contest winners.

NOTE: This expression is now overused. You will likely hear it, but you may not want to use it.

ORIGIN: This phrase refers to a puzzle used by consultants in the 1970s and 1980s. To solve it, you must connect nine dots, using four straight lines drawn continuously. Your pen must never leave the paper. (The only solution to this puzzle is to draw lines outside the border of the box. Therefore, you must "think outside the box" to solve the puzzle).

NOTE: You will also hear the variation: to throw cold water on.

ORIGIN: This idiom comes from boxing. When a fighter was losing a match, his assistant would toss a towel into the ring to signal defeat and end the game. That towel was the same one used to wipe the sweat and blood off the boxer's face.

NOTE: You will usually hear this expression in the negative: not up to scratch.

ORIGIN: This expression comes from the Bible. Pontius Pilate, a Roman official, announced before a crowd that he wouldn't save Jesus from execution. Then he washed his hands in front of the crowd, symbolically washing away the responsibility.

SYNONYM: when you come right down to it

NOTE: This expression comes from horse racing. In the 19th century, American racetracks placed wire across the track above the finish line. The wire helped determine which horse's nose crossed the line first. If a race was "down to the wire," it was a very close race, undecided until the very last second.

NOTE: A "kink" is a problem or flaw in a system or plan.