Objective Proficiency p 129. Vocabulary

Ex 3

• A golden handshake: a large sum of money that is given to somebody when they leave their job, or to persuade them to leave their job.
• Cut your teeth on something: to do something that gives you your first experience of a particular type of work. E.g. She cut her teeth on local radio. 
• Progress up the rungs: climb the career ladder.
• A mixed blessing: good and bad. 
• (A case of) dog eat dog: a situation in business, politics, etc. where there is a lot of competition and people are willing to harm each other in order to succeed. E.g. I'm afraid in this line of work it's a case of dog eat dog. We're operating in a dog-eat-dog world.
• The slightest whiff of: a tiny bit of .
• Snapped up: recruited immediately.
• Track record: all the past achievements, successes or failures of a person or an organization. Sp. historial E.g. He has a proven track record in marketing.  
• Mindset: a set of attitudes or fixed ideas that somebody has and that are often difficult to change. Mentality. E.g. a conservative mindset. The mindset of the computer generation. 
• The jury is (still) out on something: used when you are saying that something is still not certain. E.g. The jury is still out on whether wine can be good for you.
• Quantum leap: a sudden, great and important change, improvement or development. Sp. salto espectacular. E.g. This discovery marks a quantum leap forward in the fight against cancer.
• Quick fixes: apparently simple and instant solutions (which don't succeed). 
• Keep/get your head down: to avoid attracting attention to yourself. E.g. If I were you, I'd keep your head down for a couple of weeks.

Ex 4

• A quick bite: something quick to eat.
• Fast lane: the part of a major road such as a motorway where vehicles drive fastest. 
• In the fast lane: where things are most exciting and where a lot is happening. E.g. He had a good job, plenty of money and he was enjoying life in the fast lane. 
• Make a fast/quick buck: (informal, often disapproving) to earn money quickly and easily. E.g. This is a long-term project. We are not out to make a quick buck.
• Fast track: the quickest line in e.g. airport check-in. A quick way to achieve something, for example a high position in a job. E.g. the fast-track route to promotion. Fast-track graduates.
• A quick dip:  a quick swim. E.g. Let's go for a (quick) dip before breakfast.
• The slow lane: the part of a major road such as a motorway where vehicles drive slowest. 
• In the slow lane: not making progress as fast as other people, countries, companies, etc.
• Rapid response: answering quickly
• A quick catnap:  a short sleep, especially during the day.

Idiom spot

• Neologism: /niˈɒlədʒɪzəm/ a new word or expression or a new meaning of a word.
• Spin-off (from/of something): an unexpected but useful result of an activity that is designed to produce something else. Sp. resultado indirecto. E.g. commercial spin-offs from medical research. One unexpected spin-off of the course was the forming of some really close friendships. The spin-off effects of recycling waste. 
• Latch on to something: to develop a strong interest in something. Sp. aferrarse, agarrarse. E.g. She always latches on to the latest craze. 
• Red ink: deficit, loss. 
• Shoot: the part that grows up from the ground when a plant starts to grow; a new part that grows on plants or trees. Sp. brote. E.g. new green shoots. Bamboo shoots. 
• Green shoots is a term used colloquially and propagandistically to indicate signs of economic recovery during an economic downturn.
• Blue chip: (Noun) A nationally recognized, well-established and financially sound company. Blue chips generally sell high-quality, widely accepted products and services. Blue chip companies are known to weather downturns and operate profitably in the face of adverse economic conditions, which helps to contribute to their long record of stable and reliable growth. 
• Blue-chip: (adj) a blue-chip investment is thought to be safe and likely to make a profit. E.g. blue-chip companies.
• White goods: large pieces of electrical equipment in the house, such as washing machines, etc.
• Brown goods: small electrical items such as televisions, radios, music and video equipment.
• Golden hello: a large sum of money that is given to somebody for accepting a job.
• White Knight: a person or an organization that rescues a company from being bought by another company at too low a price.