| Lesson 4 "New York, New York" |
| Words & Phrases | Paraphrasing |
| on a first-name basis | being able to use the first name in normal business conversation There is a popular conception that in North America most people go by first names, and that's true especially in companies. But I would suggest that it's good to ask first. ○ We're on a first-name basis here. |
| administrative assistant | executive assistant. sometimes called a "secretary". Administrative assistants often have some broader responsibilities or they're treated as more of an entry-level position with the great chances for advancement. |
| get started | to begin or commerce ○ Let's be seated and get started. =Let's get cracking. ○ Come on, you guys, let's get cracking.( Let's hurry up.l) =Let's get the ball rolling. ○ George got a ball rolling at the party by telling a new joke. |
| high-impact | with great effect or influence ○ We've also won awards for innovative
and high-impact public relations campaigns. = a big splash = a hard-hitting |
| lend a hand | help someone If you need help, you might ask, "Please lend me a hand." or "Give me a hand." You might also sometimes hear "lend a helping hand" or "pitch in." cf. have a hand in= have something to do with |
| academic | When "academic" is used as a noun, it means a scholar or a university professor. You also hear "academics" described as "living in an ivory tower" meaning that they are removed from reality. |
| lingo | the language of a particular profession, maybe sometimes also known as
"jargon." For example, for the lawyer's lingo, it might be also described as legalities. ○ talk in one's own lingo |
| brief someone in layman's terms | explain something without using lingo or jargon |
| a grand tour | In the U.S., people often use this expression when they have guests come to our houses and they will say, "Let's give you a grand tour of our house." It's very common to take guests around and show them all the rooms of the house. |
| H.R. | = HRD = human resources (development) department |
| no stranger to | If you are no stranger to something, it means that you're very familiar
with something. ○ I'm no stranger to working hard. |
| get off lightly | If you get off lightly, it means that you can escape something easily or
avoid doing something. In the vignette, Reiji was able to get through security very quickly. |
| swipe | steal |
| That's a bummer | an annoying or disappointing thing = That stinks. = That's too bad. = That's a shame. |
| in the aftermath | the period following an event of some kind, usually very bad in a major
disaster. =in the wake of ○ How are people who live here feeling in the aftermath of September 11? |
| on the staff | an employee or a member of a work group or personnel ○ How many people do you have on the staff? = How much staff do you have?=How large is your staff? ○ I am on the staff of this company. x I am one of the staffs・・・. x I am a staff・・・. |
| alumnus | a former pupil or student of a particular school, college, or university cf. fem. alumna |
| seizable | large or considerable ○ You got a sizable discount on this computer. |
| as much as | although ○ As much as I liked working in New York, I was not at all keen on living in the city. |
| chaotic | a chaotic workplace gives you the idea that it's full of confusion or disorder,
where you don't wanna work. ○ I went down to the big sales at a department store and it was absolutely chaotic. |
| head back to | It's a very good expression to use "I'd better be heading back." when you would like to have a softer way of announcing that you need to leave. |