Lesson 5 IDIOMS?英文釋義

• fast followers:?a company that doesn't come up with new ideas or concepts first, but rather quickly copies those of other companies
• EXAMPLE: Many PC manufacturers don't spend much on R&D. They are?fast followers, waiting for competitors to innovate and then quickly copying their products.
• cutting-edge:?very modern; using the latest technologies
• EXAMPLE: Sony focuses on innovation and is known for its?cutting-edge?electronic goods.
• Why mess with success?:?Why start doing things differently when the way we're doing them now is working?
• EXAMPLE: We could move our manufacturing plant to China, but we're doing very well manufacturing in the United States.?Why mess with success?
• (to) get with the program:?to pay attention to what's going on right now; to be alert to what's happening now
• EXAMPLE:?Get with the program. Our competitors have all started to outsource their call centers to India to save money, while we're still paying a fortune here in the United States!
• cash cow:??a product, service, or business division that generates a lot of cash for the company, without requiring much investment
• EXAMPLE: With strong sales every year and a great brand name, Mercedes is a?cash cow?for DaimlerChrysler.
• real dog:?a bad product; a commercial failure
• EXAMPLE: In 1985, the Coca-Cola Company released New Coke. It was a?real dog?and was in stores for only a few months.
• me-too products:??products that are extremely similar to another company's products; copies
• EXAMPLE: Procter & Gamble is a company famous for innovation. They rarely produce?me-too products.
• (to) leapfrog one's competitors:?to make a product that is technologically superior to competitors' products
• EXAMPLE: Logitech introduced a product that?leapfrogged its competitors: a mouse that was both wireless and ergonomic.
• NOTE: Leapfrog is a popular children's game in which one child bends down and another jumps over him or her.
• for starters:?as a first step; to begin with
• EXAMPLE: You want to do business in Russia??For starters, I'd recommend setting up an office in Moscow.
• (to) beef up:??to improve; to add to
• EXAMPLE: Leave plenty of extra time at the airport. Ever since they?beefed up?security, it takes a long time to get through the lines.
• at a premium:?at a high price; at a relatively high price
• EXAMPLE: When flat-screen televisions first came out, they were selling?at a premium.
• (to) get buy-in (from):?to get agreement or approval from
• EXAMPLE: To be an effective leader, you need to?get buy-in?for your decisions from employees throughout the organization.
• (to be) on the same page:??to be in agreement; when everybody has the latest information on what's going on
• EXAMPLE: Before we start on the next phase of this project, let's have a meeting and make sure everybody's?on the same page.
• NOTE: This expression is overused. You will likely hear it, but you may not want to use it.