S
SACK (TO). Fire, dismiss. See also SEND PACKING.
SACRED COW. Something which cannot be questioned or eliminated (Hinduism). Managers sometimes have favorite projects that become sacred cows even if they are not profitable and have little chance of becoming so.
“Directors told her they felt free to challenge him because there were no sacred cows.” (Wall Street Journal, < xml="true" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" prefix="st1" namespace="">
SAFE HARBOR LEASING. Financial measure to reduce tax liability.
SAFEKEEPING. Out of danger; to be responsible for.
SAFETY CUSHION. A margin for error, additional resources that can be utilized in an emergency.
SAFETY NET. Government social welfare programs designed to assist the poor. The term is derived from the net protecting circus high-wire performers should they fall.
“Long-term care insurance can provide a valuable safety net for healthy families who are modestly wealthy.” (Wall Street Journal,
SAIL THROUGH (TO). Successfully complete or be approved with little or no difficulty.
“Since biotech drugs are often versions of the body's own proteins, the thinking was that they'd sail through safety tests.” (Wall Street Journal,
SALARY COMPRESSION. Situation where new employees are paid more than current employees.
SALES FLOWS. Mutual fund account activity.
“Jargon: sales flow. Translation: account activity” (Wall Street Journal, January 4, 1999, p. R8)
SALES PITCH. Sales presentation, sometimes an aggressive presentation.
SALLIE MAE. Nickname for government student loan marketing program, college loans. See also SLMA.
SALMON DAY. The experience of spending an entire day swimming upstream only to die at the end.
SALT MINE. Work, drudgery.
SALVAGE VALUE. The value of an asset after it has been fully depreciated or no longer useful to the company.
SAMURAI BONDS. Bonds denominated in Japanese yen but issued by non-Japanese firms.
SANDBAG (TO). Mislead; attack from behind; sales representative’s practice of not reporting sales in the current year once quota or bonus standards are reached.
“Mr. Ben-Veniste was the party's designated sandbag man on the Senate's Whitewater probe.” (Wall Street Journal,
SATELLITE OFFICES. Branch offices.
SATISFICING. Aiming for a predetermined level of profit or sales, rather than profit maximizing.
SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL. Sudden attempt to buy a large share of stock in a company; a cheap gun.
SAVE OUR BACON. Save from disaster
SCAB. A non-union worker; strikebreaker.
“I met him for the first time during a hospital strike, and the man running the consortium of hospitals, which included the Catholic hospitals, had decided to bring in strikebreakers. I heard O'Connor yelling in the corridor: ‘Over my dead body will you bring in scabs!’"(Wall Street Journal,
SCALABLE. Easily enlarged or reduced in size or scope.
SCALE. The wages paid for different types of jobs in a company.
SCALP (TO). Sell tickets at prices above their face value.
SCAM (TO). Cheat someone out of something; swindle.
SCAPEGOAT. Person who is blamed for a mistake.
SCARLET LETTER. Symbol of shame. The term comes from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter.
“Some lawyers think targeted employees may be able to accuse Ford of defamation. ‘You are in effect painting them with a scarlet letter “A” for awful,’ argues Peter Panken, a
SCHLEMAZEL. Bad luck; a person who has bad luck (Yiddish).
SCHLEMIEL. An awkward person; a nerd (Yiddish).
SCHLEP. Stupid, awkward person (Yiddish).
SCHLOCK. Inferior merchandise (Yiddish).
SCHMOOZE. Mingle with the crowd at a business function. See also GLAD-HANDING.
“High-profile auto shows have become less like industry excuses to schmooze and drink too much, and more like floating focus groups to test media reaction to the ideas coming to life on industry computer screens. Soon it might be necessary to stop using the word ‘overcapacity’ to describe the market's basic condition.” (Wall Street Journal,
SCHMUCK. Obnoxious person (Yiddish).
“Jacob, the SCHLEMIEL, has worked in the kitchen of a restaurant for years. One night the regular waiter is sick and Jacob is given the chance to replace him. Henry, the schmuck, is a rich powerful businessman who comes to the restaurant each night. David, the SCHLEMAZEL, is also at the restaurant on his first date with the girl of his dreams. Henry orders Jacob to bring him fresh soup, and when it is brought, angrily and loudly sends it back as too little. As Jacob, the Schemiel, turns to return to the kitchen, Henry, the schmuck, sticks out his foot sending Jacob tumbling and the soup flying, landing all over David, the Schlemazel.” (Jerry Rosenthal, Zip’s Business Services, 1996)
SCOOP. A news story one is the first to report.
SCOPE CREEP. Urge by clients to require additional enhancements to product before acceptance.
SCORCHED-EARTH STRATEGY. Anti-takeover defense of selling off a company’s most attractive assets (military).
SCORE CARD. A report comparing the performance of different individuals, departments, or other segments of an organization.
SCORE POINTS/BIG (TO). Impress.
“Ms. [Lisa McGurn] also is adding amenities to help students score points with recruiters. ‘We teach students to dress to impress,’ says Ms. McGurn, ‘but trudging through the snow here isn't conducive to well-pressed suits.’" (Wall Street Journal,
S CORP. See SUBCHAPTER S CORPORATION.
SCRAP (TO). Terminate a project.
SCUTTLEBUTT. Rumors, gossip.
“In other stock action, Kmart Holding (Nasdaq) jumped 4.33, or 7%, to 66.33 and Sears, Roebuck rose 2.11, or 5.5%, to 40.41 on industry scuttlebutt that Sears plans to buy some of Kmart's stores.” (Wall Street Journal,
SEAGULL MANAGER. A manager who drops in, makes a lot of noise, and then leaves.
SEASONALLY ADJUSTED. Statistics that are adjusted for seasonal variations. Employment, sales, and other macroeconomic measures are often seasonally adjusted.
SEAT OF THE PANTS ESTIMATE. Based on experience or knowledge, without any research or analysis.
SECONDARY OFFERING. Public sale of shares in a company that was previously privately held.
“The panel found that a company sales book, relating to a planned secondary offering of a publicly traded company included nonpublic information concerning the company’s fourth-quarter earnings.” (Wall Street Journal, Sept. 3, 2003, p. B4A)
SECOND CLASS. Not as good, inferior.
SECONDS. Products with defects.
SECOND-STRING. Not the top-quality people (sports).
“It is one of his most treasured sayings, revealing the notorious Kaufman pessimism, an outlook that led him to keep his second-string drama post at the New York Times well into his illustrious and financially rewarding theater career.” (Wall Street Journal,
SECULAR TREND. Long-term, as opposed to cyclical or seasonal, trend.
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (SEC). Federal agency set up after the collapse of the stock market during the Depression. The SEC is responsible for oversight of the securities market.
SEED. Technicians who transfer manufacturing know-how from one department or division to another.
“Ms. Roughgarden is known inside Intel as a ‘seed,’ an unofficial title for technicians who transfer manufacturing know-how from one Intel chip factory to another.” (Wall Street Journal,
SEED MONEY. Initial funds needed to start an enterprise.
SEIGNIORAGE. The profit made by government from the production and issue of coins.
SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE (SASE). Preaddressed, postage-included, envelope. When requesting information or submitting work to a publisher an SASE is often expected.
SELL ONE, MAKE ONE (SOMO). Production management slogan or policy.
“SOMO companies enjoy increased efficiency: no inventory pileups, no excess paperwork.” (Across the Board, Nov./Dec. 1993, p. 42)
SELL SHORT (TO). To underestimate; to sell shares of stock that you do not own hoping to buy back the shares at a lower price.
SELL SHORT AGAINST THE BOX (TO). In the stock market to sell borrowed shares while owning the same or similar shares that one delivers later to complete the transaction.
“The most popular is to ‘sell short against the box.’ To do this, you arrange through a broker to sell borrowed securities (a short sale) while owning essentially identical securities that you deliver later to complete the short sale.” (Wall Street Journal, Oct. 27, 1995, A1)
SEND PACKING (TO). Dismiss, fire from a job.
“Mr. Foley isn’t the only
SEND TO
SET ASIDES. Portions of government programs that are allocated to minority-owned businesses.
SET UP SHOP (TO). Open for business.
“Far from hush-hush, ACT and TMF set up shop down the hall from the DNC Finance Committee.” (Wall Street Journal,
7 BY 24 SCHEDULE. Seven days per week and twenty-four hours per day. An overworked employee’s perception of his or her workweek.
SEVEN S MODEL. Seven factors can be used to measure a company’s performance: strategy, structure, systems, style, shared values, skills, and staff. The model was developed by Richard Pascale, Tom Peters, and Robert Waterman when they were consultants for McKinsey & Co.
SHADOW STOCK. An artificial stock created by privately-held companies, used for performance evaluations and bonuses. Shadow stocks prices mimic what the company’s shares would have traded for in an open market.
SHAKEDOWN. Pressuring someone for a bribe to ensure things work out correctly. See PROTECTION MONEY.
SHAKE AND BAKE. To create and produce a product quickly with little concern for details or quality.
SHAKE-OUT. Period in which unprofitable businesses leave the market.
“The shift reflects a five-year shake-out in home businesses, which include independent contractors and other self-employed people.” (Wall Street Journal,
SHAM. A deceptive business practice or transaction. Sham transactions are used to inflate the value of property or to avoid taxation.
SHANK (TO). To make an ugly mistake (golf).
SHAPE UP OR SHIP OUT. Do the job or leave (command).
SHARE. The percentage of TV watchers (or radio listeners) who are watching (or hearing) a particular show.
SHAREHOLDER VALUE. The net worth of a company divided by the number of shares of stock outstanding.
“This type of POISON PILL destroys shareholder value because it’s highly dilutive.” (Wall Street Journal, Oct. 25, 2004, p. C17)
SHARK. Swindler.
SHARK REPELLENT. Any measure taken by a company to avoid a takeover attempt. See also POISON PILL.
SHELTER FROM THE ELEMENTS (TO). Protect from the weather or adversity.
SHIFT DIFFERENTIAL. Added pay for working less desirable hours.
SHINDIG. Big party. See also BASH.
SHOESTRING (ON A). Small budget.
SHOOT FOR (TO). Attempt, set as a goal.
“Jaguar and Ford luxury-group executives said in interviews this week that Jaguar will continue to shoot for its previously stated target of 200,000 annual vehicle sales, but will slow down the brand's growth rate in the short term.” (Wall Street Journal,
SHOOT IN THE FOOT. To make a costly mistake.
SHOOT THE BREEZE (TO). Talk casually.
SHOOT-THE-BULL (TO). Exaggerate; engage in casual conversation.
“The innovative course is seen by some as a ‘neat shoot-the-bull session’ which cheats the kids, and by others as a remedy for teens who haven’t been exposed to healthy relationships at home.” (Wall Street Journal, Nov. 9, 1994, p. B1)
SHOP FLOOR EMPLOYEES. Lower level employees.
SHOP TALK. Discussion of the latest business news or rumors.
“At one Scott facility he clambered over machines, discussed their workings with the factory crew and easily slipped into shop talk.” (Wall Street Journal, June 27, 1994, p. B3)
SHORT (TO). Sell stock not owned by the seller, based on the assumption that the stock’s price will decline.
“Short selling is a trading technique that produces profits when a company's stock price falls. Shorting a stock, like the opposite practice of promoting it, can be perfectly legal -- depending on how it is done.” (Wall Street Journal,
SHORT AGAINST THE BOX. The short sale of a stock owned by the seller, who does not want to close out his or her position.
SHORT INTEREST. The number of borrowed shares that have not been purchased for return to the lender.
SHORT SQUEEZE. Situation where prices of a stock rise sharply, forcing traders who have SHORTED the stock to buy the stock in order to cover their position, in the process pushing the price of the stock even higher.
SHORT SHRIFT. Ignored; lacking respect.
“Key among the changes was fairer treatment for private enterprises that increasingly underpin growth but often get short shrift from an officialdom and state-banking sector that favor state firms.” (Wall Street Journal,
SHORT-TERM DISABILITY (STD). Temporarily not able to work.
“I once met an employee who proudly announced to me that she had STD. I beat a retreat, unsure of what sexually transmitted disease she had. Later, I discovered she meant short-term disability.” (Wall Street Journal, Aug. 1, 1994, p. A14)
SHOTGUN APPROACH. A marketing campaign without a specific target audience/goal.
“It is critical to target a specific area and not do a shotgun approach to all.” (Summit, Feb. 2004, p. 11)
SHOT/SHOOT ACROSS THE BOW. A warning, to warn.
“The Chamber's Mr. Bokat said the mutual-fund governance lawsuit is a ‘shot across the bow,’ signaling to the SEC that the Chamber will challenge the proxy rule if it's adopted.” (Wall Street Journal,
SHOT IN THE ARM. Something that helps the company or stimulates action.
SHOUTING MATCH. Loud, noisy argument.
SHOW ME THE MONEY. An exclamation from the film Jerry Maguire meaning prove you can deliver on your promise. The phrase has become common in business negotiations.
SHOW STOPPER. An event or situation that captures everyone’s attention.
SHOW THE DOOR (TO). Get someone to leave; to dismiss someone.
“We show them the door. It is the P rule- if performance comes up three times in the first interview, we aren’t meant for each other.” (Wall Street Journal, August 19, 1999, p. C1)
SHRINK. Losses due to shoplifting.
SHYLOCK. Moneylender, especially one who charges exorbitant interest rates (Shylock is a character in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice). See also POUND OF FLESH.
SHYSTER. An unethical business person who attempts to cheat or deceive others.
SICKOUT. When workers by pre-arrangement CALL IN SICK (a form of union protest).
SIDE BET. A secondary impact or risk taken when making a business decision.
SIDEBAR. A courtroom discussion among the attorneys and the judge that the jury does not hear; a short news story related to the major story.
SIDECAR. New York Stock Exchange CIRCUIT-BREAKER that restricts trading when the S&P 500* index falls twelve points in one day.
SIDE EFFECT. Additional impact or consequence of an action.
SIGNATURE LOAN. An unsecured loan; a loan not backed by collateral.
SILENT PARTNER. An investor or partner in a business who is not actively involved in the day-to-day management of the business.
SIMPLIFIED EMPLOYEE PENSION (SEP) PLAN. Retirement plan where both the employee and employer can contribute.
SINK ONE’S TEETH IN (TO). Become involved in.
SINKING FUND. Funds set aside to pay off a bond or preferred stock. Many companies create sinking funds, managed by a custodian, as a means to increase investor confidence and reduce the cost of borrowing.
SINKING INTO THE SUNSET. Slowly disappearing. Products, like records and cassettes, that have reached the maturity stage of the product-life-cycle slowly sink into the sunset.
SIN TAX. Taxes on cigarettes and alcohol. The
SIPHON OFF (TO). Remove or steal (usually refers to money).
“Mr. Lohmann says he is seeing support from European clients, though some competitors have already said they are in the blocks to siphon off business from the ailing reinsurer.” (Wall Street Journal, Sept. 15, 2004, p. A.1)
SIT ON ONE’S WALLET (TO). Refuse to purchase or spend.
SIT TIGHT. A directive suggesting that the person be patient.
SITTING DUCK. Defenseless target.
“From the window of his office a few miles from downtown
SITUATION
SIX OF ONE, HALF A DOZEN OF ANOTHER. It is all the same; indifference.
SKELETON CREW. A small number of employees left to manage affairs at night or after a company has moved or gone out of business.
SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET. Problems that others are not aware of.
SKIMMING. Pricing policy where a firm initially charges a high price but later gradually lowers the price to increase sales.
SKINNY. The latest information; the truth.
SKULL SESSION. An intense briefing or discussion among members of a business team.
SKY-HIGH. Extremely lofty.
SKY’S THE LIMIT. Anything you want, there is no limit.
SKYROCKETING. Increasing rapidly.
“The wave of construction fueled skyrocketing investment in making steel, glass, aluminum and cement.” (Wall Street Journal,
SLAM-DUNK. Something that is easily accomplished (basketball).
“Mr. Ayyagari believes chances are good that the technology will gain acceptance in the market. ‘It isn't a slam dunk for power-line connection, but there are a lot of positives for it,’ he said.” (Wall Street Journal,
SLAP IN THE FACE. An insult.
SLEEPING BEAUTY/SLEEPER/SLEEPING GIANT. A company with many attractive assets but not well known to investors.
SLIPSTREAM (TO). Include something hoping no one will notice.
SLOWDOWN. A decrease in activity or growth.
SLUSH FUND. Money available to use without review. During the Richard Nixon administration, the Committee to Re-Elect the President was accused of keeping slush funds for campaign efforts, including Watergate.
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (SBA). Government agency which provides information and credit to small businesses in the
SMALL CAP. In the
SMALL FRY. Unimportant individual.
SMALL POTATOES. Small amount of money, number.
“Meanwhile, Microsoft's PC-games division will introduce 15 new games and increase its advertising budget for the North American market to as much as $25 million this year from about $20 million last year -- small potatoes compared with its Xbox campaign but a boost nonetheless.” (Wall Street Journal,
SMART CARD. Similar to a credit card, a smart card contains a microchip with data stored on it. Often, the cards store electronic cash credit. Smart cards are widely used in
SMART MONEY. Informed prediction.
SMIDGE. A very small portion or amount.
SMOKE AND MIRRORS. Deception, the use of “magic” to make appear real.
SMOKING GUN. Evidence of a problem.
“Mr. Hill: There's no smoking gun, no e-mail or memo to support what I'm going to tell you.” (Wall Street Journal,
SMOOTH SAILING. Without problems or restrictions.
SMOOZER. A person who interacts well with people, in the process finding news or opportunities.
SNAIL MAIL. U.S. Postal Service mail; any inter-office mail distribution system using paper mailings.
SNAKE-CHECK. Reviewing a plan for hidden consequences.
SNAKE OIL. A product that is represented to do more than it actually will; a misrepresentation.
SNAP UP. To quickly buy when an opportunity arises.
SNIPING. Auction technique where buyers wait until the last minute to enter their bid.
“Even with all the inters by researchers, some of the questions posed by e-commerce sites remain unresolved. One of then involves the usefulness of ‘sniping,’ which occurs when a prospective buyer in an auction doesn’t get involved in the bidding until the last minute, and then makes an offer the others don’t have time to top.”(Wall Street Journal,
SNOWBALL (TO). Increase rapidly, get out of control.
“It’s snowballing-we’re seeing more and more companies reporting their earnings in numerous different ways, and analysts are going along with it.” (Wall Street Journal, August 24, 1999, p. B1)
SNOW JOB. Persistent persuasion; deception.
SOCCER MOM. Political term for stay-at-home mothers of small children.
SOFT CURRENCY. A currency that is not readily accepted for payment in international trade.
SOFT LANDING. An economic slowdown without going into a recession.
SOFT MONEY. Campaign contributions which can be used for a variety of purposes by the political party.
SOIL BANK. Department of Agriculture program which pays farmers not to use part of their land, conserving these resources.
SOMETHING IS ROTTEN IN THE STATE OF
SONG AND DANCE (ROUTINE). Lively sales presentation meant to be entertaining as well as informative.
SORRY. Ineffective; incompetent (Southern).
SOUND BITE. A short statement quoted in the media.
SOS. International distress signal; abbreviation for “same old shit.”
SO-SO. Not very good; barely OK*.
SOUNDING BOARD. A person or group who provide feedback for ideas.
SOUP-TO-NUTS. Everything.
“Schwab will pitch itself as a soup-to-nuts provider. At a time when employers are clamoring for more investment options, Schwab will dazzle them with a choice of more than 1,300 funds at 185 fund companies.” (Wall Street Journal, April 3, 1996, p. C1)
SPAMMING. Mass marketing using e-mail addresses.
“Users are going to scream bloody murder" if the pace of spamming picks up, says Alan Mosher, director of research at Probe Group LLC, a Cedar Knolls, N.J., telecom-focused research firm.” (Wall Street Journal,
SPEARHEAD (TO). To lead an effort.
SPECIAL DRAWING RIGHTS (SDRs). International money first created by the INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND in the late 1960s. SDRs are considered part of a country’s official reserve assets and can be transferred between the country’s accounts.
SPIDER. Internet automated search robots
“Bargain Network deploys automated search robots-known as bots, crawlers, spiders, or scrapers- to hundreds of online retailers and auctioneers.” (Wall Street Journal,
SPIFF. A sales commission, often paid by the manufacturer.
SPIN. Sales technique; implication.
SPINNING. A now illegal practice of directing shares of an IPO to insiders.
“H&Q and several other securities firms are under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission for ‘spinning’- the practice of giving out shares to favored or potential clients in hopes of winning future business. Wall Street Journal,
SPIN-DOCTORING. See DOCTORING.
SPIN-OFF. A separate product or business created from an existing one.
SPLIT-DOLLAR COMPENSATION. An executive compensation deal where the company pays almost all the premium on a policy which goes into a tax-sheltered annuity. The executive can then borrow from the account without paying interest.
“So-called split-dollar life-insurance policies have become a prime tool to provide tax-free pay and loans to top executives, and, in the process, mask from shareholders the value of large amounts of executive compensation, whether intentionally or not.” (Wall Street Journal,
SPIM. Instant-messaging spam.
“It may be even more annoying than e-mail spam: It’s ‘spim,’ or instant messaging spam.” (Wall Street Journal,
SPOILATION. A legal term referring to the destruction, loss or alteration of evidence.
SPOOFING. A deceptive practice of placing and canceling stock quotes in order to create movement in the price of a stock.
SPOT MARKET. The open market for petroleum or other commodities.
SPREAD. The difference between two prices: in the stock market, the difference between the bid and ask price; in bond markets, the difference between the yield for two securities of different maturities or quality.
SPRINGBOARD. A starting point for change.
SPRING FOR (TO). Pay for.
SPYDER. S&P 500 tracking stock.
“If an investor wants to participate in the performance of the S&P 500 she could buy shares in all 500 of the stocks held in it. Besides a large capital investment this strategy would also incur high commissions. There is a security which tracks the performance of the S&P 500. Its nickname is the Spyders based on its ticker symbol, SPY.” (“Wall Street Jargon”, about.com Web site,
SQUARE ONE. The beginning.
SQUARE PEG IN A ROUND HOLE. Someone or something that does not fit well into the plan or organization.
SQUEAKY-CLEAN. Immaculate; honest.
SQUEEZE OUT (TO). Pressure to eliminate or reduce.
STACK THE DECK/CARDS (TO). Dishonestly prearrange something.
STAGFLATION. A situation in which an economy is experiencing both a lack of economic growth (stagnant) and inflation.
“One of the dirtiest words in the economic lexicon is making the rounds again: stagflation. Defined as a noxious blend of stagnant growth and rising prices, stagflation last appeared in force in the 1970s.” (Wall Street Journal,
STAKE. A financial interest, investment.
STAKE
STAKEHOLDER. Employees, investors, managers, and community members who are affected by the actions of a company.
STALEMATE. A situation where both parties cannot agree.
STAND ALONE. Act independently.
STANDARD & POOR’S (S&P). One of the two (with Moody’s) major investment information and rating services in the
STANDING ROOM ONLY (SRO). Sales technique where buyers are given the impression that there are many other customers waiting in line to purchase the product.
STANDOFF. A situation where both sides to a negotiation refuse to change their position.
STAR STATUS. Celebrity.
STAR WARS. Nickname (from a movie) for the Strategic Defense Initiative, a Defense Department program designed to use satellites with lasers to protect the
START UP (TO). To begin.
STATE-OF-THE-ART. Modern, the latest technology.
STATISTICAL MASSAGE. Make the numbers show what one wants. See also FORCE THE NUMBERS.
STATISTICAL PROCESS CONTROL (SPC). A variety of statistical measurement techniques to control work processes.
STATS. Statutes (law); statistics (business).
STEALTH MARKETING. Strategy designed to target market customer groups without competitors knowing what one is doing.
STEM THE TIDE (TO). Slow or stop a negative trend.
STEP UP TO THE PLATE. To take responsibility for (baseball).
STICK OUR NECKS OUT. To take a risk.
STICKER PRICE. List price, full retail price. See also MANUFACTURER’S SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE.
STICKINESS, also STICKY SITES. The ability of a Web site to command attention and keep a viewer at that site.
“If these companies can bring ‘stickiness’ to their corner of the Web, their purchases may some day be seen as bargains. (Wall Street Journal, February 11, 1999, p. B1)
STICKING POINT. An issue or detail that is preventing negotiations from being finalized.
STIFF (TO). Swindle; refuse to pay; cheap person.
STIRRING THE POT. Mixing things up; causing trouble.
STOCK JOCKEY. Investment analyst, often with little experience. The proliferation of stock market chat rooms on the Internet has increased the visibility of stock jockeys.
STOCK KEEPING UNITS (SKU). Inventory control codes.
STOCKLIFTING. Marketing strategy where a firm buys all the inventory of a competitor’s products from a retailer as part of an agreement to get the retailer to carry its products.
STOCK-OUT. When a particular item is not available.
STOCK PARKING. Illegal stock market practice used to hide the identity of the purchaser. During a hostile takeover, the buyer will sometimes not want the target company to know what is happening. Stock parking conceals the actions of the takeover company.
STONEWALL (TO). Refuse to cooperate.
“Because of the legal obligations under
STORK PARKING. Reserved parking spaces for expectant mothers.
STORM BACK (TO). Recover, return to the contest.
STRADDLE. Simultaneously selling puts and buying calls in a stock at the same STRIKE PRICE.
STRAIGHT UP. A drink without ice; honest.
STRAIGHT YEARS. Years in a row.
STRANGLE. Simultaneously selling call options or buying put options in a stock at different STRIKE PRICES equally OUT OF THE MONEY.
STRATEGIC
“Earlier this week, the two companies announced a strategic alliance; as part of the deal, Conoco received a 17.5% interest in the Iraqi venture, making it the first
STRAW BOSS. worker with added responsibilities but without additional compensation or authority.
STRAW MAN. Initial proposal created to elicit responses and changes.
“Using a straw man, the group has something to critique and change as opposed to having a meeting and just asking what should we do.” (Mary Grace Allenchey, AT&T, 1996)
STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMEL’S BACK. Issue or problem that destroys one’s patience.
“Ronald Kahn, managing director of the private placement group at Lincoln Partners, says competition from funds sponsored by banks, insurers as well as a handful of existing public funds is already making it difficult for some traditional funds to find attractive deals; the latest crop of public funds could prove to be ‘the straw that broke the camel's back.’" (Wall Street Journal,
STREAMING. Term for putting a stream of bits on the Internet for an audio or video connection.
STREAMLINE (TO). Reduce or cut back.
STREET. Reference to Wall Street.
STREET NAME. Securities held in the name of the brokerage house rather than the customer.
STREET SMARTS. Practical experience; not easily deceived.
“Bratz dolls are an inch shorter than Barbie, so the rivals can't share their wardrobes. Their name alone symbolizes an irreverent, street-smart attitude that Barbie never possessed.” (Wall Street Journal,
STREET SWEEP (to). To secretly acquire enough shares of stock in a company before making an offer to all shareholders.
“The most effective deterrent to the street sweep is obviously the [poison] pill.” (Wall Street Journal, December 21, 1999, p. C1)
STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND THREATS (SWOT). Market analysis technique comparing a firm to its competitors.
STRESS PUPPY. Co-worker who seems to thrive on being stressed out and whiney.
STRETCH OUT PAYABLES (TO). Pay over a longer period of time.
STRIKE A DEAL. To reach an agreement.
STRIKE OUT (TO). Fail (baseball); initiate a new activity or enterprise.
“‘You don't know what is going to stick, and what's not going to stick. The smart companies are able to hit a home run more often than they strike out,’ says Joseph Jaffe, founder and president of Jaffe LLC, a
STRIKE PRICE. The price at which the stock or commodity underlying a call or put option may be purchased or sold until the option expires.
STRING ALONG (TO). Deceive, to be not fully honest with someone.
“The Bosnian Serbs’ prevarication over the peace plan seems to be another attempt to string along negotiations and to sow division between
STRIP (TO). Separating a bond’s principal from its interest payments.
STRIP-AND-SELL (TO). Sell off assets.
STRIP MALL. Small shopping mall designed to be convenient to suburban consumers.
STRIPPED-DOWN. Basic model. A product without added features. See also BARE-BONES.
“Mr. Reddy's project, dubbed PCtvt, hopes to deliver systems next year priced at about $250, using low-cost chips from Intel and AMD, stripped-down versions of the Linux operating system or Microsoft Corp.'s Windows, and subsidies from monthly subscription fees.” (Wall Street Journal,
STRONG-ARM. To pressure into agreement.
STRONGHOLD. Powerful area.
STRUCTURAL UNEMPLOYMENT. Unemployment due to changes in technology which eliminate the need for some people’s skills.
STUDENT LOAN MARKETING ASSOCIATION (SLMA), “SALLIE MAE.” Federally created stock-held corporation designed to increase the availability of loans for college students. Sallie Mae purchases loans from financial institutions lending to students.
“The company, known as Sallie Mae, said the transition is now expected to occur in 2006, two years before the
STUMBLING BLOCK. An issue that is preventing completion of an agreement.
STYLIN’ DUDS. Nice clothes.
SUBCHAPTER S CORPORATION. Special provisions in the INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE Code allowing a corporation under certain conditions to be taxed as if it were a partnership, thereby avoiding corporate taxation.
SUBMARINE (to). To undermine or take attention away from.
“At the same time, companies are submarining in their releases plain-vanilla results, especially if those earnings look worse. (Wall Street Journal, August 24, 1999, p. C1)
SUB PAR. Substandard.
SUB-PRIME. High risk. Prime refers to the prime rate, the interest rate charged to top quality companies for short-term loans. Sub-prime customers and loans to sub-prime customers are higher risk loans.
“Were it not for the courageous decision by Comptroller of the Currency John Hawke to exempt nationally chartered banks from these state laws, sub-prime mortgage lending might well dry up.” (Wall Street Journal, Feb. 10, 2004, p. A16)
SUGGING. Sales technique disguised as being market research.
SUITOR. The person or company attempting to acquire another company.
SUNK COST. A cost incurred in the past that should not influence current decisions.
SUNLIGHTING. Doing paid work while taking time away from one's day job.
“Allowing an employee to reconfigure her day can lead to free agency. First, she takes work home and leaves early on certain afternoons. Then she arranges to telecommute three days per week. Then, while she's telecommuting, she begins moonlighting — or ‘sunlighting.’ if she's working on side gigs during the day.” (Free Agent Nation, 2001)
SUNSET PROVISIONS. Terms written into laws that cause the law to expire unless reinstated by the issuing legislature.
SUNSHINE LAWS. Laws providing for open government. Under sunshine laws most government proceedings cannot be held in secret.
SUPER. Supervisor.
SUPER BOWL INDICATOR. Stock market phenomenon that if the team from the National Football League wins the Super Bowl, the stock market moves higher.
SUPER 301.
SUPERMARKET. Mutual fund industry term for selling other firm’s mutual funds. Investors can browse and choose among many funds.
SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT. Coordination or control of the distribution system.
SUPPORT LEVEL. Price at which investors come back into the market and buy a stock.
SURE THING. Yes; a certainty.
SURFING THE NET. Exploring the Internet.
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST. The strongest competitor will survive. See also ECONOMIC DARWINISM.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. Economic development based on the principles of conservation and use of renewable rather than non-renewable resources.
SWEAT BULLETS (TO). Be very worried; to work very hard.
SWEAT EQUITY. The time and effort that goes into early stages of a project without compensation.
SWEATSHOP. Low-wage, unhealthy factory, often hiring illegal aliens.
SWEET SPOT. An ideal situation or event (golf and baseball).
SWEETEN THE DEAL (TO). Increase the offer; to make a more attractive offer.
“You had better be prepared to be better next year, and the next year after that; to continually sweeten the deal. Today’s consumers expect it.” (Wall Street Journal, Feb. 12, 1996, p. A14)
SWEETENER. Special bonuses to make an investment more attractive. See also KICKER.
SWEETHEART CONTRACT. A labor contract that favors the employer.
SWEETHEART DEAL. A mutually profitable but illegal arrangement, usually between a business and a government agency.
SWIMMING WITH THE SHARKS. Doing business with ruthless or unethical business people.
SWING FOR THE FENCES. To take risks (baseball).
“The Post’s attempted scoop illustrates the paper’s tendency to swing for the fences under the leadership of Mr. Allan, who came from
SWIPE (TO). Run a credit card through a scanner; steal.
SWIPEOUT. An ATM or credit card that no longer works because the magnetic strip is worn out.
SYNERGY. Mutually beneficial interaction, as between components of companies.
“‘I thought I'd visit somebody at [Disney-owned] ABC and they'd say, “Of course, your artist can have a special!”’ Mr. Goodman recalls. ‘But synergy is a two-way street. You still have to bring your partner something they perceive as valuable.’" (Wall Street Journal,