Americanisms |

24/7: All the time; always available; without a break

AKA: Also known as

All-nighter: Studying/working all night without sleep

ASAP: As soon as possible

Back on your feet: Recover or get well

Baloney: Nonsense

Bandwidth: Ability (or lack of ability) to complete work given the available resources (people, time, money, etc.)

BTW: By the way

COB: Close of Business

DOA: “Dead on Arrival”; hopeless

Double-take: a delayed reaction to something unexpected, immediately after one’s first reaction

Do a 180: Turn around and go in the opposite direction (either literally or figuratively)

Foot in the door: Initial opportunity; first step

FYI: For your information

Green light: Authorization; approval

Hang out: Spend time with

Hit the road: Depart

In black and white: Something written or printed; or something very explicit

In the red: In debt; without money

Jane/John Doe: Generic name for a woman or man — when unknown or anonymous for example

Landslide (election): Any overwhelming victory

Lemon: Piece of junk; failure

Luck out: Have good luck

MIA: Missing in Action

No-brainer: Easy; simple; obvious

Nuts (as an adjective): Silly; wild

Op-Eds: Open editorials (usually found in newspapers)

Out of the blue: Unexpected; surprising

Peanuts: Small amount; pittance; insufficiency

Piece of cake: Very easy

Point-blank: Direct; frank; at close range

Pull one’s leg: Joke; tease

Put your foot in your mouth: To say the wrong thing (and wish you had not)

Red tape: Bureaucratic rules; official procedures

Set aside some money: Reserve or save some money

Snail mail: Mail sent through the post office with a stamp

Tag along: Join; go with

TBD/TBC: To be determined/To be confirmed

Thumbs up: Authorize; consent

Touch base: Briefly make or renew contact with someone

Trumpism: The philosophy and politics espoused by Donald Trump