Job and Work-related English Idioms (Part 2)

A ball park figure.
A general financial figure.
"Until we had costed the project properly we were only able to give the customer a ball park figure"

To get the sack
To be dismissed from your job.
"He was always coming late, so eventually they sacked him"

A close shave.
When you come extremely close to a dangerous or unpleasant situation or only just manage to avoid it.
"I nearly crashed the car this morning, it was a close shave"

To work your fingers to the bone.
To work really hard.
"You must be proud of your success now, coz we know you worked your fingers to the bone when you started the business"

Cog in the machine
If you say that someone is a cog in the machine,you mean that, while they are necessary, they only play a small part in an organization or plan.
"The police quickly realized that the suspect was just a cog in the machine"


Corner a market
If a company dominates an area of business, and leaves no room for competition, it is said to have cornered the market.
"By importing large quantities and selling at low prices, they have cornered the market"


Cut and dried
To refer to a situation, a problem or a solution as cut and dried means that it is considered clear and straightforward, with no likely complications.
"When the new manager arrived, he didn't find the situation as cut and dried as he had expected"

Dream ticket
If you refer to two people as a dream ticket, you think they would work well together and be successful.
"I guess the new manager and the new director would be a dream ticket for this company."

Use elbow grease
If you use elbow grease, you need energy and strength to do physical work such as cleaning or polishing.
"It took a considerable amount of elbow grease to renovate the old house."

Farm something out
If something such as work is farmed out, it is sent out to be done by others.
"We farmed out the packaging to another company"

Feather your nest
To say of someone that they are feathering their nest is to say that they are taking advantage of their position in order to obtain money so as to have a comfortable life.
"I couldn't believe he feather his nest when he got the promotion"

Fiddling while Rome burns
If you say that somebody is fiddling while Rome burns, you mean that they are doing unimportant things while there are serious problems to be dealt with
"His visit to the trade fair was 'fiddling while Rome burns' according to the strikers"

Think on one's feet
A person who thinks on their feet is capable of making good decisions without previous thinking or planning.
"Good Sales Managers need to be able to think on their feet when dealing with customers."


A foot in the door
To say that someone has a foot in the door means that they have a small but successful start in something, and will possibly do well in the future.
"With today's unemployment, it's difficult to get a foot in the door in any professions"


A finger in every pie
If someone has a finger in every pie, they are involved in many activities
"For information about the new branch development project, you should talk to Alice Chen. She has a finger in every pie."