English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions 

BUSINESS and WORK - 4
from: 'dream ticket'   to:  'get your hands dirty'

• dream ticket
  • If you refer to two people as a dream ticket, you think they would work well together and be successful.
    "Clinton and Obama teaming up for the elections would be a dream ticket for many Democrats."
    
    
• (a) dry run (or dummy run)
  • If you organise a rehearsal, a trial exercise or a practice session of something, in realistic conditions, to see how well it will work before it is launched, you do a dry run.
    "Let's do a dry run of the ceremony to make sure everything goes smoothly."
    
    
• above and beyond the call of duty
  • If a person does something which is above and beyond the call of duty, they show a greater degree of courage or effort than is usually required or expected in their job.
    "The fire-fighter received a medal for his action which went above and beyond the call of duty".
    
    
• eager beaver
  • The term eager beaver refers to a person who is hardworking and enthusiastic, sometimes considered overzealous
    "The new accountant works all the time - first to arrive and last to leave. He's a real eager beaver!"
    
    
• elbow grease
  • If you use elbow grease, you need energy and strength to do physical work such as cleaning or polishing.
    "It took a considerable amount of elbow grease to renovate the old house."
    
    
• farm something out
  • If something, such as work, is farmed out, it is sent out to be done by others.
    "We farmed out the packaging to another company."
    
    
• (have a) finger in every pie
  • If someone has a finger in every pie, they are involved in a large and varied number of activities.
    "For information about the activities in this town, you should talk to John Brown. He's got a finger in every pie."
    
    
• work your fingers to the bone
  • A person who works their fingers to the bone is extremely hardworking.
    "Tony deserves his success; he worked his fingers to the bone when he started the business."
    
    
• (have a) foot in the door
  • To say that someone has a foot in the door means that they have a small but successful start in something and will possibly do well in the future.
    "With today's unemployment, it is difficult to get a foot in the door in any profession."
    
    
• get a foothold
  • If you get a foothold somewhere, you secure a position for yourself in a business, profession or organisation.
    "The contract got the firm a foothold in the local administration."
    
    
• (have a) free hand
  • If you have a free hand, you have permission to make your own decisions, especially in a job.
    "My boss gave me a free hand in the choice of supplier."
    
    
• funny business
  • A business which is conducted in a deceitful, dishonest or unethical manner is called funny business.
    "I've got suspicions about that association. I think they're up to some funny business."
    
    
• get your hands dirty
  • If you get your hands dirty in your job, you become involved in all aspects of it, including work that is physical, unpleasant or less interesting.
    "His willingness to get his hands dirty won the respect and approval of the whole team."