You're listening to Business English Pod, the Business English podcast for professionals on the move.
Welcome back to Business English Pod.
I'm Edwin and I'll be your host for this episode, the second of a two-part series on idioms related to the sea ships and sailing.
You'll often hear sailing idioms used in business discussions.
A company is compared to a ship, and employees are the ship's crew.
In the last episode, two colleagues named Lakeisha and Warren were talking about the decline of Trussox, an engineering firm.
They felt that Trussox's problems were caused by the new CEO's poor management.
It seemed he had no concrete business plan, and employees were confused and very unhappy.
Today, Lakeisha and Warren discuss ways that Trussox could become a viable or successful company again.
Before we start, here's something to keep in mind.
While it's helpful to know how to use idioms correctly, it is more important to understand what they mean when you hear them used in conversation.
We'll be introducing several new idioms today, but don't worry if you don't understand them all the first time.
We'll cover them all during the debrief, and you'll have a chance to practice them at the end.
Later, try listening to the dialogue again.
The idioms should be much clearer.
As you listen, try to answer the following questions.
1.
What does Lakeisha think should happen with TrustOx management?
Two, how might Trussix employees help the company's situation?
So do you think Trussix will weather the storm?
I don't really know.
Their revenue has collapsed in the past few quarters, so there could be a bailout in the offing.
But ultimately, it's the management that has to shape up or ship out.
You mean get some new blood in there.
Kick out the old CEO and put in someone else.
Maybe.
But how likely is that to happen?
No matter how hard the employees pull together, aren't there still going to be things beyond their control?
Of course.
But they're all in the same boat, really.
Some of them have worked there for years.
They know the ropes.
They remember when Trussix was successful.
There has to be some way they could approach the issue.
Let management know what isn't working and why.
Sounds like they'll need all hands on deck, though.
Very hard to do with a company that size.
Oh, I'm not saying it would be easy.
People don't like to rock the boat too much, and it would take some time to test the waters.
Yes, a lot of time.
True, but I think if they make some changes and keep a steady course, it could be smooth sailing for them again.
Lakeisha and Warren use many sailing idioms to talk about trusses.
Let's go over them one by one.
We'll start with Warren's first question.
So do you think trusses will weather the storm?
You've probably heard the word weather used to describe what's going on outside, if it's rainy sunny, cold or hot.
Sometimes weather is used as a verb that means to come through safely.
For a ship's crew, weathering the storm means sailing through a storm safely.
For a company, it means successfully getting past an obstacle.
Weather the storm.
Come through a crisis successfully.
With so many of our colleagues out sick with the flu, we worked extra hours to weather the storm.
With the recession predicted, we need a better plan to weather the storm.
How does Lakeisha respond?
I don't really know.
Their revenue has collapsed in the past few quarters, so there could be a bailout in the offing.
But ultimately, it's the management that has to shape up or ship out.
She uses two idioms here.
The first is bailout.
To bail out a boat means to remove water from the hull, often using a bucket or bale.
Too much water can weigh down the boat, make it harder to steer and increase its risk of sinking, so a sailor needs to bail the water out.
In business, this idiom can be used as a noun, written as one word, or as a verb, to bail out.
In both cases, it means to get help, especially financial help, in a time of crisis.
Lakeisha's next idiom, shape up or ship out, has two smaller phrases to consider.
The first, shape up, means to improve.
Ship out refers to when sailors leave port.
The idea easily transfers to business.
If a boss tells his employee to shape up or ship out, he's telling the employee to either improve performance or leave the company.
We never could have paid our debts without the government bailout.
We were relieved when our grant was approved.
The foundation bailed us out.
At his next performance review, I'm going to have to tell Steve to shape up or ship out.
We need this done right.
Shape up or ship out.
At this point, Warren asks Lakeisha to clarify her point on management.
Does she mean that Trussox should replace the new CEO?
Lakeisha isn't sure, and Warren questions her further.
But how likely is that to happen?
No matter how hard the employees pull together, aren't there still going to be things beyond their control?
Pull together means to cooperate.
As sailors work together to pull the ropes on a ship, employees would need to work together to make some changes at Trussox.
Pull together.
Work together toward a common goal.
We can get the shipment out on time if we pull together.
The marketing team pulled together and won the account.
Next, Lakeisha explains her view on employee involvement.
Of course.
But they're all in the same boat, really.
Some of them have worked there for years.
They know the ropes.
They remember when Trussix was successful.
There has to be some way they could approach the issue.
Let management know what isn't working and why.
When Lakeisha says the employees are all in the same boat, she means that they are all in the same situation, that their fate is tied to the fate of the company.
Similarly, sailors are all in the same boat because the fate of the boat determines whether they will succeed on their journey or drown and perish.
Know the ropes is another useful idiom.
A long time ago, ships had many ropes that served different functions.
Experienced sailors who knew the ropes would be able to handle just about any crisis the crew faced.
So when Lakeisha comments that many Trussox employees know the ropes, she points out that long-time employees should be able to help get Trussox back on its feet and profitable again.
All in the same boat.
Together in the same situation.
The budget cuts affected all departments.
We are all in the same boat.
Stuck in the elevator, managers and clerical workers alike were all in the same boat.
Know the ropes.
Know how to do something really well or effectively.
Marcia is going to train the new receptionist.
She really knows the ropes.
Nobody knows the ropes around here like George.
He's been with the company for 30 years.
Next, Warren comments on how employee cooperation would be critical to saving Trussox, and he speculates whether all the employees would be willing to participate.
Sounds like they'll need all hands on deck, though.
Very hard to do with a company that size.
The hand that Warren refers to is short for deckhand, a sailor who works on the deck of a ship.
All hands on deck means that all deckhands should report to the ship's deck and work together.
In the case of Trussox, Warren is saying that all employees should cooperate toward the common goal of saving the company.
All hands on deck.
Full cooperation.
To get this project done, we'll need all hands on deck here this weekend.
This campaign will be successful if we get all hands on deck.
What are Lakeisha's thoughts?
Oh, I'm not saying it would be easy.
People don't like to rock the boat too much, and it would take some time to test the waters.
When a boat rocks in a rough sea, it is harder to steer and manage.
This can put the boat in jeopardy, so it's best to avoid anything that might rock the boat.
In business, rock the boat usually means to upset the status quo or normal situation.
When a company like Trussox is in trouble, employees don't want to make a situation worse.
They don't want to rock the boat.
Test the waters is another helpful sailing idiom.
Here, the waters refers to the ocean.
Sailors test the waters when they move into an unfamiliar area, paying attention to the waves and how the ship travels.
For the employees at Trussox, testing the waters would mean experimenting with a new procedure or plan, in this case, becoming more involved with management decisions.
Rock the boat.
To put in jeopardy or make a situation unstable.
Our company gives us excellent benefits.
Let's not rock the boat by asking for more.
Speaking to the media without authorization would be rocking the boat.
I wouldn't do it.
Test the waters.
Experiment with a new procedure.
Let's test the waters with this new software before we purchase a whole new computer system.
I think he's approaching this slowly.
To test the waters next.
Warren responds that testing the waters would take some time.
Lakeisha agrees and uses two more sailing idioms to explain her view.
True, but I think if they make some changes and keep a steady course, it could be smooth sailing for them again.
Sailors follow a course or a route to their destination.
Keeping a steady course means to follow a well-planned route and continue with it in a steady, consistent way.
A business plan is much like a course.
Here, Lakeisha suggests that the employees of Trussox plan their route carefully and stick to it.
Keep a steady course.
Smooth sailing refers to a voyage on a smooth sea with no obstacles.
The weather is calm, the ship moves easily, and there are no dangers nearby.
When business moves forward in such a calm manner, we say it's smooth sailing.
No problems are anticipated.
Steady course.
A consistent plan.
We need to keep a steady course on this.
There's no room for error.
Wendy hates surprises, so stay on a steady course.
Smooth sailing.
Progress with no problems.
After Tony gets the contract, it'll be smooth sailing.
We've made so many mistakes with this client.
I hope it's smooth sailing from here on out.
Now, let's practice the new idioms in the dialogue.
In a moment, you'll hear a series of sentences.
Each sentence will be followed by a beep.
After the beep, restate or rephrase each sentence with an idiom we looked at today.
Keep in mind that we'll be practicing all the new idioms from the dialogue.
Here's an example.
If you hear It'll take a miracle to get through this crisis successfully, you can say it'll take a miracle to weather the storm.
You'll hear the answer after each exercise.
Ready, let's start.
Can we get through the next fiscal year without financial help?
Answer can we get through the next fiscal year without a bailout?
Kevin needs to improve his performance or leave this company.
Kevin needs to shape up or ship out.
We can meet our deadline if we work together toward that goal.
Answer.
We can meet our deadline if we pull together.
This problem has put us together in the same situation.
Answer.
This problem has put us all in the same boat.
She really knows how to do things efficiently.
Answer she really knows the ropes.
To get everything done will need full cooperation Answer.
To get everything done, we'll need all hands on deck.
He doesn't want to make this situation unstable.
Answer.
He doesn't want to rock the boat.
They will experiment with the new procedure first.
They will test the waters first.
We need a consistent plan.
We need a steady course.
After this quarter, it'll be progress with no problems.
After this quarter, it will be smooth sailing.
Now that you've had a chance to practice the idioms, try listening to the dialogue one more time.
You'll probably find that the idioms are easier to understand now.
We've reached the end of this two-part series on sailing idioms.
Now it should be easier to recognize and understand them when you hear them in conversation.
And if you'd like more practice, check out the study notes and online practice available for this and other episodes at wwwbusinessenglishpodcom.
Thanks for listening and see you next time.
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