Idiom of the Week - Time

The holidays are over, the weather is getting better, so no excuse for not starting our business-related idiom series. We will take a look at commonly used expression in the office world, though their use is not exclusive to business. It’s “time” to get started!

       Let’s get down to business! – let’s get started and to the point
          E.g.      “All right, we need to get down to business so we can finish this today.”
                        The manager got down to business right away so they could discuss the issues that needed to be settled.
       
       all in a day’s work – nothing unusual, just part of the job
          E.g.      He doesn't particularly like to make cold calls, but it's all in a day's work.
                       Mingling with celebrities is all in a day's work for this reporter.

        around the clock – non-stop, 24 hours a day
          E.g.      When the internet went down, the IT staff worked around the clock to get the system back as quickly as possible.
                       We need to close this deal today, so we will be working around the clock until we come to an agreement.

        at the eleventh hour – at the very last minute
          E.g.      They were able to negotiate an agreement at the eleventh hour, just in time to avoid a strike.
                       Jean always turned her reports in at the eleventh hour.

        at the end of the day – to sum up, when we are all finished
          E.g.      Many people applied for the position, but at the end of the day, only a handful of them got an interview. .
                       At the end of the day, it all comes down to the manager’s decision.

       crunch time – short, stressful period to get results
          E.g.      The end of the month is always crunch time for the team, they want to make sure that the numbers are up for the month.
                       The deadline is tomorrow to submit the proposal, so it is now crunch time.

       on the dot – at the exact time
          E.g.      We have the conference call scheduled at 9.30 am, on the dot.
                       Make sure you arrive at the meeting on time. 2 pm, on the dot.

        call it a day – to be finished/done
          E.g.      It is Friday, 5 pm, let’s call it a day. We can continue working on this project on Monday.
                      Jimmy reached a point in his professional athlete carrier, when he had to call it a day. He will dedicate his time now to his family and business.

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