Business Word/Phrase of the Day

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PERSONNEL pɜrsəˈnɛl

03 Nov 2019

noun

  • Personnel means employees or staff.
Example Sentences: The personnel department looked after 100 employees.
If you want to apply for a job please contact the personnel department.
 

PERSONAL pɜrsənl

02 Nov 2019

adjective

  • Personal means individual or private - a letter that is only to be opened by the person it is addressed to may be marked 'personal'.
Example Sentences: She left the room to take a personal phone call.
The letter had 'personal' on the envelope so she didn’t open it.
 

LICENCE līˈsəns

01 Nov 2019

noun

  • A licence is an official document which gives you permission to own, do or use something, usually after you have paid money and/or taken a test. (UK ENGLISH: License)
Example Sentences: Do you need a licence to operate a fork-lift truck?
The police officer checked his driving licence.
 

LICENSE  

31 Oct 2019

verb

  • License is used as a verb meaning to give someone official permission to do or have something.
Example Sentences: Several companies have been licensed to sell these products.
If the product is not licensed to you, you cannot use it.
 

FREELANCER friˌlænsər

30 Oct 2019

Noun

  • someone who earns their living by selling their work/services to different employers or companies without a (long-term) contract.
Example Sentence: As a freelancer, you cannot afford to be lazy and just wait for orders to come in – you really have to be pro-active.
 

TO CALL IT QUITS  

29 Oct 2019

phrase

  • To call it quits is to stop doing something, or to agree with someone that a debt has been paid and that no one owes anything more.
Example Sentences: I reckon we owe you about the same as you owe us. Why don't we just call it quits?
I paid for last week's shopping and you paid for this week's, so let's call it quits.
 

TO CALL IT A DAY  

28 Oct 2019

phrase

  • To call it a day is to stop the work you are doing.
Example Sentences: We've been working on this for fourteen hours now. Isn't it time we called it a day?
I'm getting a bit tired now - shall we call it a day?
 

A MONEY-SPINNER  

27 Oct 2019

phrase

  • A money-spinner is a product or activity which produces a lot of money.
Example Sentences: The magazine was a money-spinner for a few years until the Internet became popular.
The iPod has been a real money-spinner for Apple.
 

TO GIVE SOMEONE A GOLDEN HANDSHAKE  

26 Oct 2019

phrase

  • If someone is given a golden handshake, usually a large payment is made to them when they leave their job, either when their employer has asked them to leave or when they are leaving at the end of their working life, as a reward for very long or good service in their job.
Example Sentences: Tim was forced to leave his job but he was given a very generous golden handshake.
He was given a golden handshake of US$1 million when he retired after working with the company for 40 years.
 

TO COOK THE BOOKS  

25 Oct 2019

phrase

  • To cook the books is to change numbers dishonestly in the accounts of an organization, especially in order to steal money from it or to avoid paying corporation tax.
Example Sentences: Their accounts were completely fake. They had been cooking the books for years.
His company never pays any tax. I wonder if they're cooking the books.
 

TO DO A ROARING TRADE  

24 Oct 2019

phrase

  • To do a roaring trade is to sell a lot of goods very quickly.
Example Sentences: The product has been a great success. We're doing a roaring trade in it.
It was a hot sunny day and the ice-cream sellers were doing a roaring trade.
 

TO BE ON THE MAKE  

23 Oct 2019

phrase

  • If someone is on the make they are trying very hard to obtain more money and power.
Example Sentences: I wouldn't trust Harry. He's definitely someone who is on the make.
Tom's a young man on the make - he doesn't care who he offends.
 

TO CUT A DEAL  

22 Oct 2019

phrase

  • To cut a deal is to make a successful, usually business, arrangement with someone or another company.
Example Sentences: We're both competing for the same business. Perhaps we can cut a deal to share out the work.
We've cut a deal with the sales staff. They've agreed to reduce their basic salary in return for more commission.
 

TO CORNER THE MARKET  

21 Oct 2019

phrase

  • If a company corners the market for a particular type of product, it is more successful than any other company at selling the product.
Example Sentences: He's the only person who imports this product. He's really cornered the market.
MacDonald's have cornered the fast-food market - they're in every big city in the world.
 

TO DRIVE A HARD BARGAIN  

20 Oct 2019

phrase

  • To drive a hard bargain is to expect a lot in exchange for what you pay or do.
Example Sentences: It's hard doing business with Maggie. She drives a hard bargain.
I had to give them a 30% discount or the deal was off. They drove a hard bargain.
 
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