F
FACE-OFF. Confrontation, argument (hockey).
FACE THE MUSIC (TO). Take the consequences.
“‘The dealers blame the factory and the factory blames the dealer body, and nobody wants to take ownership,’ said John Hiebert, general manager at Jack Wolf Chrysler-Jeep in Belvidere, Ill. ‘It seems now that both sides are getting off their butts to face the music.’" (Wall Street Journal, Nov. 12, 2003, p. B2)
FACE TIME. Visibility in the office.
“A hybrid schedule of mixing face time at school with online classes, live Internet chats with professors, and e-mail is used by 80% of ALU's students. The other 20% of ALU's students learn solely via the Internet; one student is a
FACE-TO-FACE. In person.
“Coalition forces were waiting on an order from Allawi to pull out. Renegade Sadr agreed to the plan in a face-to-face meeting with leading Shiite cleric Sistani. Earlier, a mortar hit a Kufa mosque killing 27, and pipeline attacks in southern
FACE VALUE. On a bond, the amount originally borrowed and to be paid at maturity.
FAIRNESS DOCTRINE/EQUAL TIME. Principle that
“The Fairness Doctrine refers to a former policy of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) wherein a broadcast station which presented one viewpoint on a controversial public issue had to afford the opposing viewpoint an opportunity to be heard.” (Federal Communications Law Journal, Sept. 1994, p. 51)
FAIT ACCOMPLI. An accomplished fact (French); something already taken place.
“The mistake is to think it's anything new. From a distance of 60 years it's not hard to toast our strong wartime alliance. In truth, however, de Gaulle was kept in the dark about D-Day until two days before the attack. So enraged was he that at first he refused to deliver a radio address after Eisenhower (the ‘after’ was but one sticking point) to ask the French to rally to their own liberation. And in point of fact we didn't even recognize de Gaulle and his Free French as the legitimate authority in
FALLBACK POSITION. Alternative plan (military).
FALL BY THE WAYSIDE (TO). Decide not to continue; fail.
“‘The outlook for this year's earnings is quite good and that should help stocks in 2004,’ said Bob Davidson, co-manager of Touchstone Small-Cap Growth Fund. ‘But there is no question earnings will slow and especially the weaker competitors could fall by the wayside in 2005.’" (Wall Street Journal,
FALL DOWN ON THE JOB (TO). Fail at one’s responsibilities.
FALLEN ANGELS. Stocks or bonds which were originally considered of high quality but subsequently have become risky.
“All told, 374 stocks moved in, including those that became too small to stay in the [Russell] 1000 Index of large stocks. The fallen angels include Reader's Digest, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Ethan Allen Interiors and Delta Air Lines, which all are small stocks that trade on the New York Stock Exchange.” (Wall Street Journal,
FALL GUY. Person blamed for a bad decision.
“The two announcements raise the prospect that Mr. [Richard P. Scalzo], a 46-year- old partner in the accounting firm's
FALL ON THE SWORD. To take the blame or responsibility for something. In ancient
FALLOUT. Repercussions, side effects of a decision (reference to nuclear weapons).
“Though Mr. Sharon quietly supports the changes, he is allowing Mr. Netanyahu to take the lead -- and bear the brunt of the political fallout. But amid signs the economy is bouncing back -- growth in the first half of this year reached 4.1%, the government said recently -- Mr. Netanyahu hopes a successful campaign could bolster his standing and pave the way for his eventual return to the prime minister's office.” (Wall Street Journal,
FAMILY LEAVE. Time off from work to take care of family members.
“Some 30% of big companies now offer domestic-partner benefits, she estimates, compared with 22% in a 2000 Hewitt survey of 570 companies. ‘We're seeing an increase in employers who say, Let's provide family leave [and other work-life benefits] for whatever definition of family our employees have,’ Ms. Sladek says.” (Wall Street Journal,
FAMILY VALUES. Values associated with traditional home life in
FAM TOUR. Familiarization tour offered by to travel agents and convention organizers by tourism industry operators.
FANNIE MAE. See FEDERAL NATIONAL MORTGAGE ASSOCIATION.
FAQs. Frequently Asked Questions, especially with reference to the Internet.
“The site has an easy-to-use order form, though there is no separate help or FAQ page that explains store policies.” (Wall Street Journal,
FARM OUT (TO). Subcontract; delegate.
“NEC Corp. said it plans to farm out more software-development work to companies in
FAR OUT. Weird, out-of-the-ordinary (1960s slang).
“People magazine has gone online, with an electronic version of CompuServe. The online edition is typical of the magazine itself—trendy, but not too far out.” (Information, March 1995, p. 17)
FAST AND LOOSE. Irresponsible; deceitful.
“On the historical inaccuracy, the scholars note that the four gospels were written decades after Christ died and ‘we're only getting highlights,’ observes Professor Kimball. Then the movie picks and chooses from them, with John the dominant one. ‘[Mel Gibson] plays fast and loose with the gospels,’ says Prof. [Mary Foskett]." (Wall Street Journal,
FAST BUCK. Quickly earned money.
“The SEC is worried that customers are being suckered into signing up with companies that are less interested in making an honest living than in making a fast buck on the back of the Internet bubble.” (Wall Street Journal, August 16, 1999, p. C1)
FAST-TALKING. Persuading with deceitful statements.
FAST-TRACK. The way to rapid promotion or success.
“That's bad news for foreign investors pursuing stakes in
FAT CAT. Tycoon; wealthy person.
“That would be almost as crazy as the current effort by some Bush backers to focus attention on John Kerry's Vietnam War record and subsequent protests. This is being significantly funded and directed by
FAUX PAS. Mistake (“false step,” French).
FEATHERBEDDING. The practice of retaining unnecessary union jobs.
“YPFB simply can't do it. Like other state-owned enterprises in
FEATURE CREEP. Adding new features or options to old, use-unfriendly products making the product even more cumbersome.
FEATURE DUMP. Salesperson or sales promotion which talks about the product features only.
FED. See FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD.
FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION (FDIC). A quasi-government organization created during the Depression to insure depositor’s funds in commercial banks after nearly ten thousand banks failed in two years.
FEDERAL FUNDS. Deposits made by commercial banks in their Federal Reserve Banks to meet reserve requirements.
FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK (FHLB). Government system created to provide credit to the savings and loan industry. In 1989 the FHLB was replaced by the Federal Housing Lending Board.
FEDERAL HOME LOAN MORTGAGE CORPORATION (FHLMC), “FREDDIE MAC.” Publicly held corporation that packages and resells mortgages to institutional investors.
FEDERAL INSURANCE CONTRIBUTION ACT (FICA). Federal law requiring employers and employees to contribute a percentage of their wage income to Social Security and Medicare programs.
FEDERAL NATIONAL MORTGAGE ASSOCIATION (FNMA), “FANNIE MAE.” Originally a government agency (1938), this mortgage market intermediary buys federally insured mortgages from lenders, thereby releasing funds so that lenders can make more loans, and then packages the loans for resale to investors.
FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD (FRB), “FED.” Semi-autonomous group responsible for monetary policy in the
FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN INSURANCE CORPORATION (FSLIC). FSLIC was a quasi-government organization created during the Depression to insure depositor’s funds in Savings & Loans. FSLIC went bankrupt in the 1980s. Bankrupt S&Ls* were taken over by the RTC*, and solvent S&Ls became members of FDIC*.
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION (FTC). Created in 1914, the FTC’s goal is to stop unfair trade practices, including monopolies, price discrimination, and false advertising.
FEEDBACK. Response; especially, evaluation of performance.
FEEDER. A source of materials or supplies for a manufacturer.
FEEDING FRENZY. Impulsive buyer activity.
“In the early 1990s, soon after it was privatized, British Airways joined the rest of the airline industry in a feeding frenzy, grabbing for all the passengers it could and trying to win market share by flying lots of big planes.” (Wall Street Journal,
FENCED IN. Cannot get out.
FENCE-MENDING. To apologize or attempt to repair a broken relationship.
F2F. Face-to-face.
FIAT MONEY. Currency that has no intrinsic value. Fiat money is money because government declares it to be “legal tender.” The danger with fiat money is that a government may decide to create too much of it, the most famous case being in Germany between World War I and World War II.
FIGHTING BRAND. Branded product introduced to compete with a competitor’s product and protect the company’s leading brand.
“British Airways (BA) is jeopardizing long-standing relationships with travel agents by launching World Offer, its first ever price-fighting brand. World Offer is an umbrella brand for discounted economy class tickets to destinations identified as having spare capacity.” (Marketing, March 31, 1994, p. 5)
FILE THIRTEEN. Trash basket.
FILE TRANSFER PROTOCAL (FTP). Used as a standard for transferring files across the Internet.
FILL (to). Stock market jargon meaning to execute an order
FILL OR KILL. Term used for a stock purchase order. Either complete the order or cancel it.
FILLING THE GAPS. Technical stock market term for an asset that has quickly risen in price, faster than would be expected by technical (chart) analysis. Chartists, also called “elves” by Louis Rukeyser, predict that the asset will decline, to fill in the gaps on their charts.
“This is a trading term used to describe trading in an asset that has moved higher too quickly, and has ‘leapfrogged’ over some points on a chart, which then has to go back (trade lower) and ‘fill in the missing gaps.’” (Review & Focus, EverBank World Market report,
FILTER OUT (TO). Remove.
FINDER’S FEE. Fee charged by an intermediary in a business transaction.
FINE PRINT. Details of a contract.
“United Policyholders, a 12-year-old advocacy group that represents consumers and commercial-insurance buyers, maintains the boilerplate disclosures brokers provide aren't enough, given a broker's role as a buyer's representative. ‘If you're going to tell me I've got to read the fine print, that's not what people are paying for,’ said Amy Bach, executive director of the
FINGER CHECK. A typing error on a comuter.
FIRE (TO). Dismiss from a job. See also CAN.
“In exchange for money to recruit, train and pay raises to teachers, he wants to make it easier for schools to fire those who are incompetent. Mr. Kerry calls for tougher teacher-certification tests -- someone with about a 10th-grade education could pass them now -- and for ‘rewards’ for teachers who show ‘more skill or better results.’" (Wall Street Journal,
FIRE AWAY (TO). Begin asking questions whenever ready.
FIREPOWER. The potential resources or capacity for action (military).
FIRST CLASS. Best available.
FIRSTHAND. Directly.
FIRST IN, FIRST OUT (FIFO). Accounting method which assigns cost to the ending inventory by assuming that the cost of the units in the ending inventory is also that of the most recent units purchased.
FIRST OUT OF THE GATE (TO BE). Initial leader; fast starter.
“The Risk Assessment bill will be first out of the gate to relate directly to the 9 major environmental statutes.” (Environment Today, Jan./Feb. 1995, p. 22)
FIRST STRING. Best individual(s) (sports).
FIRST TIME QUALITY. Zero defects.
FIRST WORLD. The industrialized countries of the world
FISCAL DRAG. The time between when a government spending policy is approved and when it affects the economy.
“Mexican fiscal policy affects growth at the margin. High taxes hold down growth not only through fiscal drag, but also by using up President Fox's political capital and attention." (Wall Street Journal,
FISCAL YEAR. Year for accounting purposes, not necessarily beginning in January. The
FISHBOWL. In the public eye.
FISHING EXPEDITION. An enquiry into an issue without a developed plan.
“Susanne Martinez, public policy vice president for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, called Mr. Ashcroft's effort to subpoena 900 medical records at six Planned Parenthood affiliates ‘a calculated fishing expedition’ and an ‘attempted sweeping invasion of medical privacy.’ In one of the trials, a federal judge in
FISHYBACK. Transportation system using both trucks and ships.
FISH OR CUT BAIT (TO). Be forced to decide.
“The White House fears a bill won't pass, and a senior official blames Senate Majority Leader Daschle. Bush, GOP House Speaker Hastert and Senate GOP leader Lott will give him a ‘fish-or-cut-bait’ message at the leaders' White House breakfast.” (Wall Street Journal,
FIT AND FINISH (TO). Quality of execution of details; to complete the final details.
“The five brands that slipped in rank: BMW, Jaguar, Porsche, Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz. Power's
FIVE AND DIME/TEN. A variety store selling cheap items; low-priced merchandise.
“Typically, we end up buying whatever oversize basket we can find at our local five-and-dime. But after suffering one too many baskets filled with waxy chocolate, stale jelly beans and enough artificial grass to cover an indoor baseball stadium, this year we went searching catalogs and Internet sites for the definitive word on Easter goodies.” (Wall Street Journal,
FIVE NINES. 99.999 percent accurate.
FLAG (TO). Call attention to; stop production of.
FLAGSHIP. The most important product, division, office of a company.
FLAGSHIP BRAND. Leading brand.
“In 1912, Chinese statesman Sun Yat-sen took his first ride in an automobile -- a Buick. The last emperor of
FLAK. Abuse or criticism (World War II, German; or “flack”).
“‘Yes, we took some flak from the decision, to pay cash dividends,’ said Eric Wintemute, chief executive of American Vanguard, an American Stock Exchange-traded maker of crop-protection chemicals." (Wall Street Journal,
FLAME (TO). Send nasty messages on the Internet.
FLASH IN THE PAN. A person, idea, or business that starts with much fanfare but quickly declines or fails.
FLAT. Empty; completely sold out. In bond trading, “flat” means without any accrued interest.
FLAT CHARGE. Fixed price.
FLAVOR OF THE MONTH. The current fad.
FLESH OUT (TO). Fill in the details of an agreement or procedure. After business or political leaders reach an agreement, staff members are often directed to flesh out the details.
FLEXTIME/FLEXITIME. Policy allowing workers to define their own working hours.
FLIGHT RISK. The probability that an employee will leave the company.
FLIGHT TO QUALITY/VALUE. Movement of capital to the safest investments.
FLIP (TO). Buy and then quickly sell shares of stock purchased in an INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING.
FLIP-FLOP (TO). Change back and forth.
"It's a bigger story he has to tell. It's a 35-year commitment to trying to make things better. He didn't flip-flop. He kept at it, and it was a major foreign-policy accomplishment." (Wall Street Journal,
FLIP SIDE (ON THE). The counter argument or idea.
FLYING CIRCUS. A fly-in and inspect tour by corporate executives. Such executives are likely to receive TRAVEL DAZZLE.
FLOAT (TO). Initiate; the time between when a check is written and when an account is debited.
“Your checks will soon clear much faster, and that means no more ‘playing the float.’" (Wall Street Journal, August 1, 2004, p. 4)
FLOAT A LOAN (TO). Borrow money.
FLOOD (TO). Overwhelm with the details; supply large quantities.
"The first noise you ever hear comes from the employees, who began to flood his clients' employee-benefits departments with complaints about unpaid Cigna medical claims.” (Wall Street Journal,
FLOOD OF ORDERS. A sudden increase in demand.
“In anticipation of a flood of orders for the Alpha chip, DEC built semiconductor foundries.” (Computer Technology Review, Spring/Summer 1994, p. 8)
FLOOR. A lower limit, usually imposed by government on prices or wages.
FLOOR PLANNING. Financing for inventory, usually associated with automobile dealerships where dealers use manufacturer’s credit to finance the new cars shown on the floor of their business.
FLOP. Failure.
FLUB (TO). Miss.
“In interviews, the president echoed senior aides' denials of postwar flubs and assertions that things are better than the media has painted.” (Wall Street Journal,
FLUFF IT AND FLY IT (TO). Make it look good and then sell it.
FLUNKY. Low-level employee. See also GOFER.
FLUSH. Having plenty of money.
FLY-BY-NIGHT (BUSINESS). Temporary; firm of questionable ethics.
“The rhetorical smearing depicts an important financial center as a shady, disreputable offshore haven that attracts capital with fly-by-night tax schemes that don't pass muster. ‘The talk of closing down the
FLYING OUT THE WINDOW. Being discarded.
“Now, many of the assumptions built into those systems are flying out the window as changes in travel spur one of the biggest overhauls in pricing since deregulation.” (Wall Street Journal,
FOCUS GROUP. A small group of potential consumers brought together to discuss a product or idea. Focus groups are used to get in-depth information from a small, select groups of customers or potential consumers.
“Republicans had hoped Medicare legislation would be a political boon. But for that to happen, said Bill McInturff, a Republican pollster who moderated the foundation's focus groups, ‘there would have to be a very, very substantial change.’" (Wall Street Journal,
FOLD (TO). Close, quit; merge.
“The takeover agreement calls for UFJ,
FOLLOW-ON OFFERING. New shares of stock sold to investors after an initial public offering.
FOLLOW THE HERD. To invest in what other investors are buying.
FOLLOW THROUGH (TO). Finish, complete a task.
FOLLOW-UP (TO). Response to an inquiry; to check on status.
“If customers didn't follow through on their aftermarket indications, Morgan encouraged its sales force to follow up, the SEC said." (Wall Street Journal,
FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA). Federal agency responsible for food, drug, and medical safety in the
FOOD CHAIN. The organizational hierarchy.
FOOD FOR PEACE. International food giveaway program (Public Law 480).
FOOTHOLD. A beginning, a start.
FOOT IN THE DOOR (TO GET ONE’S). Establish an initial contact.
“‘I'm qualified enough to get my foot in the door,’ he says, ‘but there's a vast pool of candidates out there with strong resumes. When I applied to b-school, I certainly had not anticipated a recession that wouldn't go away.’" (Wall Street Journal, Sept. 17, 2003, p. R5)
FOOTPRINT. A firm’s or product’s presence or recognition in a market.
FOR A SONG. To pay very little for something.
FORCE IN NUMBERS. Power resulting from the presence of a large group.
FORCE MAJEURE. External contingencies that unavoidably affect performance of a contract (French).
“The arbitration ruling in February 2003 by the Delta Pilots System Board of Adjustment turned back a challenge from the union over Delta's use of ‘force majeure’ to justify laying off pilots. Force majeure is a legal concept under which parties to a contract are released from liability if unforeseeable circumstances prevent them from fulfilling their obligations under the agreement.” (Wall Street Journal,
FORCE THE NUMBERS (TO). Make up numbers; manipulate statistics.
FOREIGN/FREE TRADE ZONE (FTZ). A special government program or location where firms can import materials and not pay duties until products made from the materials leave the FTZ. Products that are exported are exempt from import duty.
FOREX, FX. Abbreviations for foreign exchange.
FORMICA PARACHUTE. Unemployment compensation. When
FOR THE BIRDS. Unreal or ridiculous.
FORTRESS
“Economic Slowdown Enters Fortress
FORTUNE 500. Fortune magazine’s list of the five hundred largest manufacturing companies in the
FORUM SHOPPING. Efforts by lawyers to shop for the most favorable court to hear a case.
“Forum shopping, in which attorneys maneuver to find the court most sympathetic to their case, is a common complaint among defense attorneys in the massive asbestos-litigation arena.” (Wall Street Journal,
FOR YOUR INFORMATION (FYI). For your consideration, usually not requiring a response.
FOULED UP BEYOND ALL RECOGNITION (FUBAR). A mess.
“With its myriad of programs the welfare system in the
FOUR TENS (4 10s). Four ten-hour workdays.
FOUR-FIFTHS RULE. Used by the EEOC*. If an employment practice results in minorities being hired at a rate less than 80 percent of white applicants, the EEOC may rule that the minority group has been adversely affected by the practice.
FOUR P’S. A firm’s marketing mix: product, price, promotion, and place.
FOUR TIGERS.
“Most Americans know that
FREDDIE MAC. See FEDERAL HOME LOAN MORTGAGE CORPORATION.
FREEBIE. A sample used to stimulate interest among customers.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA). Federal law requiring open access to government information.
FREE-FALL. A rapid decline in the market.
FREE-FLOWING. Loose.
FREE LUNCH. Something for nothing—proverbially, what there is no such thing as. In business the saying “there’s no such thing as a free lunch” means that everything has a cost.
FREE ON BOARD (FOB). Invoicing term meaning that the buyer pays shipping costs.
FREE RIDERS. Those who do not pay but enjoy the benefits.
FREESTANDING INSERT (FSI). Advertisements inserted into newspapers.
FREE-WHEELING. Creative; ignoring rules or laws.
“Still, he worries that Mr. Kerry is too hesitant to engage people in the kind of free-wheeling style that was so much a part of Dr. Dean's big moment." (Wall Street Journal,
FRINGE BENEFITS. Non-wage compensation that comes with a job. Fringe benefits may include health insurance, travel and clothing allowances, retirement plans, and other PERKS.
FROBNICATE/FROB (TO). Manipulate or adjust.
“If someone is turning a knob on an oscilloscope, then if he’s carefully adjusting it he is probably tweaking; if he is just turning it but looking at the screen he is probably twiddling it; but if he is just doing it because turning a knob is fun, he’s frobbing it.” (Professor Julianne Morgan, USCA, 1996)
FROM SCRATCH/THE GROUND UP/THE WORD “GO.” From the beginning.
“In these days of ownership CHURN and affiliation switches, many stations face having to start a newscast from the ground up.” (Broadcasting & Cable, Sept. 4, 1995, p. 31)
FRONT BURNER. Of immediate importance or attention.
“AOL’s talks with Disney about merging CNN and ABC are back on the front burner amid concerns about costs and advertising.” (Wall Street Journal,
FRONT END. The part of a business that deals directly with customers.
FRONT LOADING/FRONT-END LOAD. Loan fee or sales commission paid from the initial funds borrowed.
FRONT MONEY. The initial amount needed to start a project.
FRONT OFFICE. The central office, office that deals with customers.
FROWN UPON (TO). Disapprove of.
FROZEN ASSETS. Assets that cannot be bought or sold because of a legal dispute.
FRUITS OF ONE’S LABOR. Money or assets one worked to acquire.
FUBAR. See FOULED UP BEYOND ALL RECOGNITION.
FUDGE FACTOR. A margin of error in an estimate.
FUDGE THE FIGURES (TO). Cheat with numbers. See also CREATIVE ACCOUNTING.
“Richard Grace, a
FULFILLMENT. Filling orders from mail-order marketing.
“WalMart.com, the retailer's Internet unit, based in
FULL COURT PRESS. Maximum pressure, all-out effort (basketball).
“Given his druthers, Mr. [George W. Bush] likely would have avoided his diplomatic full-court press to get U.N. Security Council approval to oust Saddam Hussein, and instead gone with an ad hoc coalition from the outset.” (Wall Street Journal,
FULL DISCLOSURE. Laws requiring sellers to provide all information relevant to the business transaction.
FULL FAITH AND CREDIT. The promise that accompanies government debt issues.
“The bonds carry a repayment pledge of the state's full faith and credit, as well as backing from a slice of a state sales tax.” (Wall Street Journal,
FULL OF BULL/HOT AIR. Meaningless talk, boastfulness.
FULL-SERVICE AGENCY. A large advertising agency that can provide anything a client wants.
“Jack Myers, president of Myers Communications, said that the trend away from independents is less a function of them losing the business than full-service agencies responding to these changes and winning it.” (Advertising Age, April 10, 1995, p. 1)
FUMBLE (TO). Make a mistake, error (football).
“And lately the president has talked up telecom and the need to clear away ‘the regulatory underbrush.’ But such talk has been a long time coming. Indeed, next to the steel- tariffs fumble, Mr. Bush's neglect of information technology -- a sector responsible for almost two-thirds of the rise in labor productivity in the late 1990s -- might be his most serious economic misstep.” (Wall Street Journal,
FUNDAMENTALS. Basic operations or activities of a business. In the 1990s many American businesses are returning to their fundamentals. See also CORE BUSINESS.
FUN MONEY. Uncommitted funds. Consumers often shop with fun money.
FUNNY MONEY. Securities that are not well-known and of questionable value.
FUZZWORD. Business jargon.
“In effect, a fuzzword carries with it an aura of a new, more exciting reality, but one that has no basis in the real world.” (Marketing News, May 10, 1993, p. 4)