Page 24 - Perfect Phrases ESL Everyday Business

Find a Mentor

Different areas of the United States operate at different
speeds. In business, the pace is much faster in the Northeast
and the Midwest than in the South and the Southwest. In the
Northeast and the Midwest, as a matter of course, getting
down to business is the rule. There is a minimum of small talk
until the main order of business is addressed. Time is money,
A.S.A.P. (“as soon as possible”), step on it, and shake a leg are
expressions that mirror the business mind-set in these areas of
the country. On the other hand, other areas of the United States
move at a much more relaxed pace. In these areas, rushing is
considered rude and the “getting to know you” phase plays a big-
ger role.
Lunch and learn training programs are shorter than full-day
or half-day training programs and are presented during a lunch
hour or two. Often coworkers present an aspect of their jobs to
their fellow employees. By their nature these programs are casual.
A brown-bag lunch is a small one that you bring—or that the
company provides—that can fit into a lunch bag. It usually con-
sists of a sandwich, drink, and snack or dessert.

Idioms and Other Vocabulary

As a matter of course: routine, the usual
Brown bag: a self-packed lunch, food brought from home
Casual Friday: dressing casually on Fridays at work; also
called dress-down Friday
Change hats: change roles
Collaboration: working together
Dress code: rules about what to wear in a situation or to
an event
Fit in: to be accepted

7