Idiom of the Week

Week of January 28, 2008

“I was forced to eat humble pie when the acquisition I supported lost the company thousands of dollars.”

Eat humble pie – v.  To admit that you are wrong.  To be forced to apologize for an error.  To be forced to suffer humiliation.

After boasting that he would win the award, Jerry ate humble pie when his colleague Rebecca was announced the winner.

Week of January 21, 2008

“My manager wasn’t worried that the client we were pursuing had decided to go with our competitors. He said that competitor was small potatoes.”

Small potatoes – n.  An insignificant amount, particularly when compared with something else.  Something or somebody regarded as unimportant.

“The money we earned from our investments this year was small potatoes compared to what we made last year.”

Week of January 14, 2008

“Jey found it hard to concentrate during the four meetings he attended before noon that day.  He feared his project was heading south.”

--From Touch All the Bases by Jolinda Osborne

Head south – v.  To go in the wrong direction; to go off course, to go bad or wrong.

“Our cash flow situation is heading south.  We’d better step up our marketing efforts.”

Week of January 7, 2008

“During his many walks around the ranch, John had spoken with most of the ranch hands.  They were self-contained individuals, men and women who might settle for a while, but who would likely pull up stakes and head off on a new adventure wherever the grass looked greener.”

--From Take The Bull By The Horns, by Jolinda Osborne

Pull up stakes – v.  To move from a place where you have lived or worked.  To leave.

“Because of labor costs, we pulled up stakes and moved our plant offshore.”