Blog Archives

Happy Mother’s Day!

Today is Mother’s Day in the US. It is a day set aside to honor mothers, and those women who have been like mothers to us – perhaps a grandmother, aunt, or stepmother.

Mothers do a lot for us. They take care of us even before we are born. They fed us and clothed us when we were babies. When we were sick, they sat beside us and did everything they could to make us feel better. They taught us our first words and watched us take our first steps. They helped us get through the trials and tribulations of childhood, and taught us how to act like adults. They helped mold us into the people we are today.

If your mother is still alive, give her a call or write her a letter and let her know how much you appreciate her.

The following is a podcast from a few years ago on the subject of Mother’s Day.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Idiom Focus: Business Idioms 44

Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn. An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.

write off: a reduction in the value of an asset or earnings; cancelling an item in an account book.

Example:

Can we write off those overdue accounts from last year?

figure out: arrive at a solution or find an answer by thinking about the situation.

Example:

Have you figured out the new software yet?

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Idiom Focus: Business Idioms 43

Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn. An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.

work out: devise, develop.

Example:

The engineers went to the client’s facility to work out a solution for the client’s unique circumstances.

cut corners: save money, trim waste.

Example:

The custodian tried to cut corners by ordering cleaning supplies from a cheaper distributer, but I don’t think the new supplies clean as well as the old ones.

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Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address

November 19, 2013 was the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address.” What was the Gettysburg Address? Why was it significant?

At the time, America was in the midst of a civil war, and in July of 1863, there had been a major battle in which the Union armies had defeated the Confederate armies at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. There was massive loss of life, with nearly 8000 dead from both sides. Since it was the height of summer, these dead needed to be buried quickly. Consequently, some bodies were buried in existing graveyards, but many were simply buried at battlefield sites where they fell. Later, the decision was made to create a cemetery for the Union casualties of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg

Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg (circled)

Although reburial of Union soldiers had already begun in October, the Soldier’s National Cemetery was formally dedicated that November, and it was at this dedication that President Lincoln delivered his now-famous address. Perhaps surprisingly to us, Lincoln was not the main speaker; Edward Everett—who had served in public life as Governor of Massachusetts and president of Harvard, among other things—had a reputation as a great public speaker, and was scheduled to give the main oration. His speech was over 13,000 words long, and took two hours to deliver.

Lincoln’s address, in contrast, was a mere ten sentences, and was over in a matter of minutes. The next day, Everett wrote to Lincoln, “I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes.” In his speech, Lincoln reminded the listeners of the principles upon which the country was founded, and set those ideals in the context of the civil war. He then gave honor to those soldiers who had died in defense of those principles, and exhorted his listeners to continue the fight so the American republic would endure through its time of trial. Here is the full text of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address:

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

The Gettysburg Address is one of the most famous of American historical speeches. Its brevity and eloquence serve as a reminder that it is not length nor fanciful words that make a classic speech timeless; rather, its timelessness comes from reminding us of these timeless ideals, and inspiring us to live by those ideals.

 

 

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Idiom Focus: Business Idioms 42

Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn. An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.

carry the day: win an argument, be successful.

Example:

Jack’s persuasive arguments for the new accounting system carried the day, and everyone is looking forward to implementing the new system.

make a go of something: succeed at something, have good results with something.

Example:

John got laid off from his job, so he’s going to try and make a go of the landscaping business he’s always been talking about.

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Idiom Focus: Business Idioms 41

Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn. An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.

get off the ground: get started, successfully begin a project, etc.

Example:

Our new product line got off the ground just in time for the Christmas shopping season.

in the long run: in the long term, as a final result.

Example:

This software may be more complicated to learn, but in the long run it will save us time and money.

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Idiom Focus: Business Idioms 40

Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn. An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.

in stock: inventory available for sale, on hand.

Example:

Call the office supply store and see if they have toner for our printer in stock.

out of stock: no inventory available for sale.

Example:

That particular camera model is out of stock, but we’re expecting a new shipment early next week.

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Idiom Focus: Business Idioms 39

Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn. An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.

keep track of: keep count, keep record, follow the progress of something.

Example:

If you want to measure the effectiveness of your marketing, you need to keep track of how your new customers are finding out about you.

throw cold water on: criticize; stop or prevent somebody from doing something, especially by criticizing them.

Example:

The team in the tech department threw cold water on sales’ plan to offer same-day shipment on special orders.

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Idiom Focus: Business Idioms 38

Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn. An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.

deliver the goods: fulfill expectations, do what you say you’re going to do.

Example:

Most salesmen have a persuasive spiel, but Tom is unique in his ability to deliver the goods.

by a long shot: by a great amount, by far.

Example:

The current ad campaign is much more successful than the old one, by a long shot.

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Idiom Focus: Business Idioms 37

Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn. An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.

at a loss: sell something below cost, so the company loses money from selling it.

Example:

We’ll have to sell the excess inventory at a loss just to get rid of it.

company town: a town or a city that is dependent on a particular company or industry for its local economy.

Example:

Detroit is an example of a company town that failed to diversify its economic base.

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