ESL Podcast 988 - Playing Fair in Business
account - the business relationship between a company and one buyer of its products and services, including all paperwork related to those transactions
As the vice-president of sales, you'll be responsible for dozens of accounts representing more than three million dollars in sales.
to snatch - to take something quickly, unexpectedly, and without permission; to steal
Justin puts passwords on all his digital files so that nobody can snatch his ideas.
to not know what hit (one) - to be completely surprised by something so that one was not expecting it, especially when there are negative consequences
The severe flu season left thousands of people not knowing what hit them.
to watch (one's) back - to be careful, especially when one might be hurt or killed by other people who are planning a secret attack
The streets are dangerous, so our police officers have to know how to watch their back.
payback - revenge; vengeance; mean or cruel actions done to someone because that person did something mean or cruel previously
Yes, I told lies about Mindy, but it was just payback for the things she said about me last week.
on the verge of - about to do something; ready to do something; very close to the point where something happens
Blake was on the verge of proposing to his girlfriend when he found out that she was planning to break up with him.
to swoop in - to become involved in something very quickly and unexpectedly, having some effect on the people who were already involve in that thing
Wouldn't it be great if an investor swooped in and gave us thousands of dollars for advertising?
to snag (something) - to get something, especially to take something through trickery or deceit
What did Zacharias have to do to snag those concert tickets?
to play fair - to follow the rules; to do something the way one is supposed to do it, following the same rules as everyone else and not having any secret advantage
Anti-trust laws are designed to make sure companies play fair when they compete with one another.
feud - a long argument, often violent, that continues between two people, families, or groups of people for a very long time
Their family feud began in 1892, when the Smiths accused the Harlands of stealing a cow.
to play hardball - to do everything possible to win, even if it is mean or unfair or creates problems for others
If you want to be promoted, you'll have to play hardball.
what's good for the goose is good for the gander - a phrase meaning that if something is good, beneficial, or acceptable for one person, it is good, beneficial, or acceptable for everyone
A: I know Ollie did that, but that doesn't make it right for you to do it, too. B: I disagree. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
to up the ante - to raise the stakes, to increase the potential benefits of something even though that means increasing the risk associated with it
Let's up the ante and see if the competition is able to match these lower prices.
underhanded - dishonest, secretive, and unfair
The article accuses the government of being involved in a lot of underhanded transactions.
to escalate - to increase and become bigger or more intense
Instead of yelling at your spouse and making the situation escalate, try taking a deep breath and counting to 10 before responding.
if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen - phrase used to tell someone that if a situation is too stressful or intense for him/her, he/she should leave and let someone else deal with it
Stop complaining. Working on Wall Street is stressful and most analysts have ulcers and high blood pressure. If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen.