|
www.learn-english-today.com |
|
| • business english • lessons - exercises • vocabulary • phrasal verbs • wordgames • proverbs • fun • news • links-resources • home • | |
|
|
|
| Call the shots | If
you call the shots, you are in command of the situation and make all the important decisions. (Also : call the tune.) "Ask Julie - she's the one who calls the shots." |
| Call the tune | The
person who calls the tune is the one who decides and is in control of the situation. "He shows a lot of authority but in fact it's his wife who calls the tune." |
| Too many chiefs, not enough Indians |
This expression refers to a situation where there are too many people giving instructions and not enough people doing the work. "The business wasn't successful. There were too many chiefs and not enough Indians." |
| The corridors of power |
This term refers to the higher levels of government or administration
where important decisions are made. "The matter is the subject of much discussion in the corridors of power at the present time. " |
| Crack the whip |
If you crack the whip, you use your authority to make
someone obey you or work more efficiently, usually by threatening them. "Every so often I've got to crack the whip to make sure we meet the deadline." |
| Force someone's hand | If you force someone's hand, you make them do something
unwillingly or sooner than planned. "The interviewer forced his hand and made him reveal his relocation plans." |
| With a heavy hand | Dealing with or treating people with a heavy hand
means acting with discipline and severity, with little or no sensitivity. "He ran the juvenile delinquent centre with a heavy hand." |
| Lay down the law |
Someone who lays down the law tells people very forcefully and firmly what to do. "The volunteers helped in a disorganized way. They needed someone to lay done the law." |
| Pester power |
This expression refers to the power children
exert over their parents by continually nagging or pestering them until they accept to buy advertised toys or fashionable products. "Pester power leads busy parents to buy more and more for their children." |
| Put one's foot down. |
To put one's foot
down means to exert authority to prevent something from happening. |
| Rule the roost | If you rule the roost, you
are the most important and powerful person in a group or community. "Officially David runs the company, but it's his father who really rules the roost." |
| Seal of approval |
If a project or contract receives a seal of approval, it
receives formal support or approval from higher authorities. "We can't conclude the deal without the director's seal of approval." |
| The tail wagging the dog | This expression is used to refer to a situation where there is a
reversal of roles, with a small or minor element of something having a controlling influence on the most important element. "If you let your children decide on everything, it will be a case of the tail wagging the dog." |
| Top dog | To say that a person, group or country is
top dog means that they are better or more powerful than others. "She's top dog in cosmetics today." |
| The upper hand. | If a person or
organization gains the upper hand, they take control over something. |
| Wear the trousers | The
partner in a couple who wears the trousers
is the one who makes the important decisions. "The salesman hesitated. It was difficult to see who wore the trousers in the couple." |
| Wipe that smile off your face! | This
expression is often used by parents, or people in authority, to indicate that the situation is not considered amusing at all. "This is a very serious matter, so wipe that smile off your face!" |
|
|
|
|
copyright © k.beke. all rights reserved.
|
|