ESL Podcast 628 - Introducing a New Product
to give (someone) the heads up - to let someone know what will happen ahead of time; to give someone information before most other people have it; to let someone know something early
The CFO gave us the heads up that there might be pay cuts next quarter.
to roll out - for a company to introduce and begin selling a new product or service
Our restaurant is rolling out a new menu for the summer.
state-of-the-art - very modern and advanced, using the newest and best technology
The hospital has a state-of-the-art cancer center.
never-before-seen - new, never existing before; unlike anything else available now or in the past
This special anniversary DVD includes never-before-seen scenes that were edited out of the movie.
in development - being worked on but not yet finished
The new medication has been in development for years, but so far no pharmaceutical companies have received approval to market it.
to keep (something) under wraps - to keep something a secret; to not share information about something
The politicians are trying to keep the story under wraps, but I doubt they can do it for very long.
to leak - to share secret information with the media or with the public when one knows that one is not supposed to do so
The government will punish anyone who leaks national secrets to other countries.
rumor - something that may or may not be true, but that is said to many people and becomes well-known
We heard a rumor that you won't be teaching here next year. Is that true?
to put a clamp on (something) - to stop something from happening, usually by using significant force, strength, or power
How can we put a clamp on this lawsuit?
to come out - to be released; to be introduced; to be made available to the public
When does the company expect to come out with a new version of its software program?
to get a jump on (someone) - to do something before someone else can do it; to do something faster or sooner than another person can do it
Geremie got a jump on his classmates by taking courses during the summer break, and now he'll be able to graduate earlier than the rest of his class.
to steal (someone's) thunder - to receive praise or approval that normally would have been for someone else; to do something that takes attention away from what another person has done
I can't believe your sister stole your thunder by announcing that she was pregnant on the day of your wedding. She should have waited, so that everyone's attention could be on you that day!
to scramble - to do something very quickly; to use all of one's available resources to get something done sooner than one would normally be able to
It will be difficult to finish the report by Thursday, but if we scramble, I think we can do it.
ahead of schedule - before something is due; before the deadline
If the company finishes building the bridge ahead of schedule, it will receive a bonus payment.
to make a splash - to do something that attracts a lot of attention and is noticed by many people
The young designer really made a splash with his unusual clothing at the fashion show.
hype - buzz; things that are said about a product to make people more interested in it and want to buy it, often before it is available
Do you believe all the hype about how this fruit can help you lose weight?
justified - with a logical, acceptable reason or explanation; something that can be explained rationally and made to seem fair or right
If someone is starving, can stealing food be justified?
to beg - to plead; to ask someone to do or give something in an urgent way
The drunk man at the bar begged for Katherine's phone number, but she wouldn't give it to him.