a bad workman always blames his tools »
It is not the tools we use which make us good, but rather how we employ them.
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barrow man »
A man under sentence of transportation; alluding to the convicts at Woolwich, who are principally employed in wheeling barrows full of brick or dirt.
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blow chunks »
To suffer from explosive diarrhea.
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blow one's top »
To be explosively angry. To lose one's temper.
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blow up »
To explode or be destroyed by explosion.
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blow up »
To explode something or somebody or destroy something or injure or kill somebody by explosion.
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brass ring »
Figuratively, a prize or goal. Often used with respect to employment goals e.g. promotion, better job, etc.
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business girl »
A young woman employed in business or office work.
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charity mugger »
A person employed by a charity, or by an intermediary fundraising agency employed by the charity, who stands in the street and invites passersby to set up standing orders or direct debits to make regular donations to the charity.
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cradle robber »
A person who marries or becomes romantically involved with someone who is much younger or who employs or otherwise engages a young person for a purpose inappropriate for his or her age.
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crying shame »
A situation that is considered to be a disgrace, or deplorable.
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debris field »
Any area, non-dependent of locale, space, or contour, that contains the debris of wreckage, impact, sinking, or other material that once constituted a complete object. Debris fields can be found at the site of air crashes, water vessel sinking, explosions of buildings, collapses, and other events that render a whole entity into components, pieces, or other non-whole items.
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diplomatic flu »
An illness feigned by one or more government officials or other public figures as an excuse for an absence really based on political reasons.
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don't give up your day job »
Implying that they could not earn a living from it without other regular employment.
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f** someone over »
To exploit somebody in a way which result in an advantage to oneself, at the cost of the other party gaining a considerable disadvantage.
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fall off »
A hip hop term; to completely lose the plot in terms of artistic direction.
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find out »
To discover, as by asking or exploring.
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flip one's lid »
To be explosively angry.
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get the boot »
To be dismissed from employment.
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get the chop »
To be dismissed from employment.
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give notice »
To announce one's intent to leave a job; to inform an employer that one is leaving.
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give the elbow »
To terminate the employment of.
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go apeshit »
To behave in an extreme manner; to act without restraint, especially by becoming explosively angry.
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go native »
Of a contractor or consultant, to begin working directly as an employee for a company and cease to work through a contracting firm or agency.
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go off »
To explode.
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go off »
To explode metaphorically; to become very angry.
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golden handcuffs »
Any arrangement or agreement designed to provide extremely favorable benefits or pay, so as to discourage participant from wanting to leave, especially to retain a choice employee.
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golden handshake »
A generous severance payment, especially as an inducement to leave employment.
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golden hello »
A payment offered to an employee as an inducement to join, especially if currently working for a competitor.
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gunboat diplomacy »
The pursuit of foreign policy objectives with the aid of conspicuous displays of military power.
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hack into »
To gain unauthorized entry to, particularly by exploiting little-known weaknesses.
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hand grenade »
small explosive device
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hatchet man »
Someone who carries out brutal and unpleasant duties on behalf of another, such as firing dead wood employees.
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hit the ceiling »
To be explosively angry. To lose one's temper.
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hit the roof »
To be explosively angry.
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hoist by one's own petard »
To be hurt, or destroyed by one's own plot or device, of one's own doing which one intended for another; to be "blown up by one's own bomb".
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homeless dumping »
The practice of hospital employees or emergency workers releasing homeless patients on the streets instead of placing them into the custody of a relative or shelter or retaining them in a hospital where they may require expensive medical care.
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in the fast lane »
In a lifestyle, employment position, or other set of circumstances where the rapid pace is exciting, frantic, or risky.
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inside job »
A crime or other illicit action committed by or with the help of someone either employed by the victim or entrusted with access to the victim's affairs and premises.
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it's not what you know but who you know »
For success, and especially to obtain employment, one's knowledge and skills are less useful and less important than one's network of personal contacts.1951, G. P. Bush and L. H. Hattery, "Federal Recruitment of Junior Engineers," Science, vol. 114, no. 2966, p. 456:Eighty-four students referred to political influence as a disadvantage of federal employment with such remarks as: "There are too many political connections necessary . . . it's not what you know but who you know
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jump »
To employ a move in certain board games where one game piece is moved from one legal position to another passing over the position of another piece.
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jump »
To employ a parachute to leave an aircraft or elevated location.
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kitchen table software »
Especially in the early years of personal computers, a set of computer programs developed by an entrepreneurial advanced amateur or self-employed professional computer programmer in his or her own home; software developed by a small business using the services of such programmers.
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lapsed academic »
A person formerly employed as a professor or researcher in a university or other institution of higher education, especially one who no longer attempts to remain current in his or her former academic field.
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lay off »
From employment, e.g. at a time of low business volume, often with a severance package.
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let go »
To dismiss from employment.
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let off »
To cause to explode.
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look into »
To investigate, explore, or consider.
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lose it »
To be explosively angry; to lose one's temper.
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lose one's temper »
To be explosively angry. To get very cross.
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lose the plot »
To cease to be behaving in a predictable and/or rational manner.
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lose the plot »
To have one's results decline severely in quality or suddenly fall below an acceptable standard, especially when compared to past excellence.
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meal ticket »
Someone or something that provides income or livelihood, especially as an exploited source.
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old school »
Characteristic of a style, outlook, or method employed in a former era, remembered either as inferior to the current style, or alternately, remembered nostalgically as superior or preferable to the new style, the older denoting something that would be considered out of date or out of fashion to some, but as such, is considered by others as cool and hip.
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on the clock »
Working at one's job; occupied in some manner during one's hours of remunerated employment.
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one's days are numbered »
Some period of time, such as a term of employment or a lifetime, is coming to an end.
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out of work »
Unemployed, or having nothing to do.
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painting rocks »
Pointless or futile work organised by the government, supposedly to increase employment but in fact merely disguising the unemployment level.
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parade of horribles »
A rhetorical device employing a series of progressively more terrible results following from an act.
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pink slip »
Notice of the termination of employment.
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pound the pavement »
To campaign diligently; to seek something, such as business, employment, or answers.
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private eye »
A private personal detective, employed to gather information about someone.
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put out feelers »
To explore or watch for; ask around; investigate.
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put to the test »
To test something or someone; to evaluate, scrutinize or explore by testing or experimentation.
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real job »
A job which requires the employee to, work regular hours for a consistent wage that often exceeds the provisions of applicable minimum wage legislation. A job that produces a living wage.
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seagull manager »
A manager who comes into the workplace or office only on occasion, especially when a problem arises or to criticize or critique employees.
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send away »
To send to a particular place for a long time, as a family member, an employee, etc.
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set off »
To cause to explode.
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show the flag »
Of a naval vessel or military force, to identify itself by displaying the flag of its country of origin, especially in order to establish an authoritative presence and to exert diplomatic or political influence.
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sign on »
register as unemployed
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sword and sandal »
Of or pertaining to a genre of books or films relating fantasy-adventure tales involving heroic exploits in ancient or biblical times.
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test the waters »
To explore or probe, as before making a commitment.
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the plot thickens »
Used, often ironically, to describe an increasingly complex or mysterious situation.
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virgin territory »
By extension, ideas or concepts or activities that have not yet been tried, explored or developed.
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virgin territory »
Land that has never been explored or developed.
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whistle-blower »
One who reports a problem or violation to the authorities; especially, an employee or former employee who reports a violation by an employer.
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yes man »
A person who always agrees with his employer or superior.
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