Business Expressions Vocabulary Test 1

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Question 1

I thought this time things were going to be better. Losing the contract was _____ to swallow.

A	bottom line
B	blue collar
C	a bitter pill
D	back to the drawing board
E	blow-by-blow

Question 1 Explanation:

A bitter pill to swallow is something unpleasant that you have to accept. The words to swallow after the gap complete this idiom. Example: Losing my job was a bitter pill to swallow.

Question 2

We’ve lost the contract thanks to your incompetence. You really _____, didn’t you?

A	back to the drawing board
B	bottlenecks
C	bottom line
D	blue collar
E	blew it

Question 2 Explanation:

Blow it (past: blew it) is an informal way to say you lost a good chance by making a mistake. The gap needs a past-tense verb, and the question tag didn't you? confirms this. Example: I had one chance to impress them and I blew it.

Question 3

I’d be better off stopping my legal job and doing jobs for cash. The _____ is the only way to make money these days.

A	blow-by-blow
B	back to the drawing board
C	bottlenecks
D	black economy
E	bottom line

Question 3 Explanation:

The black economy is work that people are paid for in cash and hide from the government, so they pay no tax. The clue is doing jobs for cash instead of a legal job.

Question 4

The product didn’t work in the States. As they say there, it really _____.

A	back to the drawing board
B	bottlenecks
C	bombed
D	blow-by-blow
E	bottom line

Question 4 Explanation:

In American English, if a product or show bombed, it failed completely. The clues are didn't work and in the States. Example: The film bombed at the box office.

Question 5

However, the same product sold really well in England. As they say there, it _____.

A	back to the drawing board
B	bottlenecks
C	bottom line
D	blue collar
E	went like a bomb

Question 5 Explanation:

In British English, go like a bomb means to be very successful or sell very well. This is the opposite of the American bomb (fail). The clues are sold really well and in England.

Question 6

- He used to work on the factory floor.

- Yes, he really started out as a _____ worker.

A	blue-collar
B	back to the drawing board
C	bottlenecks
D	bottom line
E	blow-by-blow

Question 6 Explanation:

A blue-collar worker does physical work, for example in a factory. The clue is the factory floor. The opposite is a white-collar worker, who works in an office.

Question 7

There are many reasons why this should be a success. However, the _____ is that it has been a big flop.

A	bottom line
B	back to the drawing board
C	bottlenecks
D	blow-by-blow
E	a bitter pill

Question 7 Explanation:

The bottom line is the most important fact or final result of a situation. Here, after all the reasons it should succeed, the real result is that it was a flop (a failure). Example: The bottom line is that we need more money.

Question 8

Production has been unable to keep pace with demand. We are doing our best to eliminate the _____.

A	blow-by-blow
B	back to the drawing board
C	blew it
D	a bitter pill
E	bottlenecks

Question 8 Explanation:

Bottlenecks are places or stages where work slows down and holds up the whole process. The clue is that production can't keep pace with demand. We usually eliminate or remove bottlenecks.

Question 9

We’ll have to start again on this one. It’s time to go _____.

A	blow-by-blow
B	blew it
C	black economy
D	bombed
E	back to the drawing board

Question 9 Explanation:

Go back to the drawing board means to start planning something again from the beginning because the first plan failed. The clue is We'll have to start again.

Question 10

Don’t leave out any details. I want a full _____ account of what happened in the meeting.

A	blow-by-blow
B	blew it
C	black economy
D	bombed
E	went like a bomb

Question 10 Explanation:

A blow-by-blow account describes every detail of an event in the order it happened. The clue is Don't leave out any details. It is an adjective, so it fits before the noun account.

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