With the latest unemployment figures in South Africa at 29%, here’s a quick run down of some of the work-related idioms and how to use them.
Learn the Ropes
Meaning: Become more familiar with a job or field; be trained
Example: John takes about three months to learn the ropes and then finds that he is bored.
Get the Sack/ Be Sacked
Meaning: To be fired
Example: Due to John’s apparent lack of enthusiasm he got the sack and was asked to leave immediately. In South Africa the ‘sack’ could be taken to mean a bag of money and it usually is presented to people who are doing their jobs very badly.
Off the Hook
Meaning: Free from blame or responsibility to do something
Example: Now that John is consulting he will handle the petroleum project and the engineer on the job is off the hook.
Hanging by a Thread
Meaning: In great danger of elimination or failure
Example: John’s wife is a nurse but since injecting a patient with the wrong dosage her job is hanging by a thread.
Burn the Candle at Both Ends
Meaning: Work very long hours
Example: Now that John is the only breadwinner he is burning the candle at both ends.
Rank and File
Meaning: The ordinary members of an organisation
Example: Since putting in long hours John longs for the days when he was part of the rank and file.
Pink Slip
Meaning: A layoff notice; loss of a job, typically because of layoffs
Example: John’s wife’s misdemeanour was discovered by the head nurse and she got a pink slip on Friday.
Out of Work
Meaning: Unemployed
Example: As many as 29% of all South Africans are unemployed – that is about 15.3 million people
Move Up in the World
Meaning: Become more successful
Example: There is still hope for John. He has excelled as a consultant and he is moving up in the world.
Give Someone The Old Heave-Ho
Meaning: Fire someone, remove someone from a group or team
Example: Watch out John. Again in a display of characteristic arrogance, John got the old heave-ho and was asked to exclude himself from the project.
All In A Day’s Work
Meaning: That’s what I’m here for; although I have accomplished something, it is part of what I’m expected to do.
Example: John really does land on his feet. He impressed a director on the team and gave him a compliment to which John replied, “It’s all in a days work.”