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Phrases & Fable

Dead Set Against Something

Meaning: Unalterably opposed to something

Origin: An industrial term. When a machine is bolted down or fastened so it can't move, it's said to be "dead set."

Drum Up Business

Meaning: Find a Way to Sell Things

Origin: "Before the practice of advertising in printed media became so common, traveling hawkers of various wares would enter a village in their wagons and attract an audience by beating a drum."

Fit as a Fiddle

Meaning: In tip-top shape

Origin: "The phrase was originally 'fit as a fiddler,' and referred to the stamina of fiddlers, who could play for a dance all night long without even getting tired."

Y2K - Quotes

In the most dramatic warning yet of impending computer crisis in the government, a congressional panel said Wednesday that 37 percent of the most critical computers used by the federal agencies will not be updated in time to handle dates in 2000 and will be subject to widespread failure. The new estimate calls into question assurances by the Clinton administration that it is moving quickly enough to avert serious outages.

-The Wilmington (Delaware) News Journal, March 5, 1998

Should You Listen To Gripers

If you're a supervisor or a boss's assistant, gossipers and gripers may often unload on you. This may irk you, but sometimes you may hear something to benefit the organization. Here are some tips to help you decide if you should hear them out:

• Ignore gossip about off-the-job activities that don't directly affect company productivity or morale.
• Consider the source. Is a wild story coming from someone who rarely gossips? Is the complainer someone who seldom protests? Both cases deserve your attention.
• Don't ignore a complaint even if it comes from someone who rarely lets a day go by without griping about something. You're sure to hear a legitimate complaint some day.
• Cope with constant complainers by asking yourself these questions: "How would I react if the gripe came from my best friend?" "Is there any basis for the gripe?" "Can I confirm it with an unbiased third party?" "If I can, is it worth the time it will take?"
• Don't share information you may have. And don't say what you'll do based on what you've heard, even if you heard something that prompts you to act. Reasons: You'll want to confirm before you act. And you don't want the griper to tell others, because you may change your mind if you can't confirm the information.

Source: Secretary's Letter, 12 Daniel Road, Fairfield, NJ 07004.

Guidelines For Packrats

If you have problems throwing paper away, go through each file and ask yourself:

Have I used this in the past year?

What will happen if I don't keep it?

Does it help my goals, job, family, etc.?

Is it irreplaceable?

If you can answer "no" or "nothing" to these questions, toss it. If you still can't part with a file:

Copy all the necessary information--such as title pages and addresses--onto one sheet of paper. Then scan or type the information into a computer database for easy retrieval.

Create a "Just in Case" notebook to hold these single sheets of information.

Source: Leader's Digest, 1111 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20224.

Dealing With Fast Talkers

Many fast talkers are knowledgeable--but that's no reason to let them dominate a conversation.

Here's what you can do to get your message across:

Stop worrying about being rude. Reason: Your anxiety probably contributes to your silence--because you're too busy concentrating on the polite thing to say.

Believe in yourself. The fast talker may know more than you--but if you know your job, your company and the issues involved, you also deserve to be heard.

Begin the conversation before the fast talker can. You won't have to wait your turn to get your ideas across.

Place your hand in a "stop" position and say, "I've heard the points you've made and respect them. Please return the courtesy and listen to my ideas."

Cut the person off. How: Use his or her last uncompleted sentence as a segue to your ideas.

Speak with the person one-on-one if he or she tends to talk more in front of an audience.

Source: Lona O'Connor, writing in The Philadelphia Inquirer.