Speak Business English Like an American is the bestselling book & audio CD set designed to help you succeed on the job -- whatever you're doing, wherever you're working. The set is great for self-study, with dozens of helpful exercises to reinforce the material. It's also a wonderful supplemental text that's in use in universities across the USA.
American English speakers use many phrases and expressions on the job. If you don't know these expressions, you are left out of the conversation. This book & CD will help you speak business English like an American ... quickly and confidently. Once you have the knack, no one can take it away from you. With this book and CD, your career will benefit for years to come.
You will learn the idioms & expressions that you hear at work. What do your colleagues and coworkers, your customers or clients really mean? How can you use these expressions too?
Language is always changing and business English changes especially fast. That's why we've explained the most up-to-date expressions -- today's business English. Now you will be able to use these expressions, too. People will marvel at your command of English.
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.
List of Idioms and 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 real blockbuster."
- bells and whistles
- extra product features, usually using the latest technologies; product features which are attractive, but not essential for the product to function
- "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 rumours 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!"
- 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 / to make a fortune
- "Suzanne made a killing on her Google stock and retired at 40."
- (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.
- mum's the word
- let's keep quiet about this; I agree not to tell anyone about this
- "Please don't tell anybody about out new project. Remember: mum's the word!
- (to) get wind of
- to find out about something, often sensitive information
- 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
- "Why doesn't the Donox Company ever think up any original ideas? All they ever do is rip off their competitors!"
- game plan
- an action plan; a plan for how a project will proceed
- "The software company's game plan is to expand its operations into China and India over the next year."
- (to) get something off the ground
- to get started on something, often a project
- "We've been sitting around talking about this project for months. It's time to take action and get it off the ground!"
Exercise:
- Did the company think of this new product idea themselves? No, they ripped it off from an inventor.
- No, they paid an inventor for the idea.
- No, they stole the idea from an inventor.
- No, they discussed it with an inventor and he agreed to sell it to them.
- Andrea is planning to quit her job at the end of September, but mum's the word.
- don't tell anybody
- don't tell her mother
- she may change her mind
- Sony has made a killing on its popular Playstation line.
- lost money on
- made a lot of money on
- decided to stop producing
- After receiving a large loan from the bank, the company was finally able to get its project off the ground.
- get started on the project
- cancel the project
- borrow money
- That new software company seems very disorganised. Do they have a game plan?
- a plan for closing down their business
- a plan for developing new games
- a plan for how they will proceed to grow their business
- Some experts recommend that when you're interviewing for a new job, you keep your current salary under wraps.
- you should tell the interviewer what your current salary is
- you should say you're making twice as much as you're really earning
- you should not say how much you're currently earning
- Don's new cell phone has a video camera and all sorts of other bells and whistles.
- fancy features
- things that make loud ringing noises and whistle tones
- features typical in a low-priced product
- When the 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.
- hid
- discovered
- got fed up over
