phrases about
job & careers
dialogue;
Maddy: Bob! I hate to break the news, but our sales were down
again last month!
Bob: Down again, Maddy?
Maddy: Yeah. These days, everybody is shopping from our
competitor, Joey’s furniture store.
Bob: But everything in there costs an arm and a leg!
Maddy: That’s true. They charge top dollar.
Bob:And their salespeople are very strange!
They really give me the creeps!
Maddy: Well, they must be doing sth right over there.
Meanwhile, we’re about to go belly-up.
Bob: I’m sorry to hear that!
I thought my new advertising campaign would save the day!
Maddy: Let’s face it! Your advertising campaign was a disaster!
Bob: well, then I’ll go back to the drawing board.
Maddy: It’s too late for that! You are fired!
Bob: What? You are giving me the ax?!
Maddy: Yes, I have already found a new manager.
She’s as sharp as a tack.
Bob: Can’t we talk this over?
After all, I’ve been working here for 10 years!
Maddy: There is no point in arguing Bob!
I have already made up my mind.
Bob: Oh well, at least I won’t have to put up with your nonsense
anymore! Good-bye to you and good-bye to this
dead-end job!
Maddy: Please leave before I lose my temper!
1. to break the news = to tell bad news, to tell somebody sth bad
Example: I don’t know how to break the news to her!
She was diagnosed with cancer, and
the doctor broke the news to her family
2. to cost an arm and a leg = to be very ridiculously expensive
Example: The coat cost him an arm and a leg!
3. top dollar = a very high price
Example: I pay top dollar for my classes/ They charge top dollar for their
service
to pay top dollar
to charge top dollar
4. Sth/sb gives you the creeps = Sth/Sb that makes you feel
nervous or afraid
Example: I really hate snakes, they
give me the creeps!
5. to be about to = to be ready to, to be going to happen soon
Example: The ceremony was about to begin
6. to go belly-up= to go bankrupt ( to not be able to pay
your debts and to have to shut down )
Example: The company was about to go belly-up
7. to save the day = to do sth to stop a failure, to prevent a failure
Example: The company was about to go belly-up,
but the advertising campaign saved the day
8. Let’s face it = Let’s be realistic, Let’s accept the bitter truth,
Let’s accept a difficult reality
Example: Let’s face it, moving to a new house was a bad decision
9. back to the drawing board
= When an idea hasn’t been successful and you need to come up with a new
idea, Let’s start from the beginning
Example: The government’s tax policy was a failure, so they had to go
back to the drawing board
10. to give sb the ax= to fire sb, to dismiss sb from his/her job
Example: His boss gave him the ax!
11. as sharp as a tack = very smart, very clever
Example: The new manager is as sharp as a tack!
Perhaps she can save the day and stop the company from going belly-up!
12. to talk sth over = to discuss sth with someone else in order to
understand their opinion about that
Example: The employees had 2 weeks to talk the proposal over with their
families
13. After all = The fact is, As a matter of fact
Example: You should invite her to your wedding, after all she is your best
friend
I know I’m a good teacher.After all, I have almost 500k subscribers, now!
14. There is mo point in something= There is no reason to do
sth, It is worth doing sth
Example: There is no point in worrying about the
things you can’t change!
15. to make up your mind = to make a decision, to decide
Example: He finally made up his mind to attend the meeting
I have finally made up my mind,
I wanna get married
16. to put up with sth/sb= to tolerate sth/sb without complaining
Example: I can’t put up with my boss, I wanna quit !
17. dead-end = without any future prospect, with no room for
improvement
Example: He realized that working at that restaurant was a dead-end job
18. to lose somebody’s temper = to become angry
Example: When I arrived late, my boss lost his temper
