the most important part (“It may be a good idea, but the bottom line is that it’s not profitable.”)

to consistently work beyond normal business hours (“Our manager is burning the midnight oil to meet every deadline.”)

to work lazily (“Don’t expect a promotion if you’re constantly slacking off.”)

A long period of time (“The new business pitch will be hard work, but we’re in it for the long haul.”)

to be in debt (“If my company loses this client, we’ll be in the red for months.”)

to raise standards or expectations ("The team must raise the bar if we want to win a customer service award.”)

the rate of gaining experience or new skills (“New employees usually have a learning curve.”)

a metaphorical barrier preventing advancement to a higher position (“I think there’s a glass ceiling because I don’t see any room for growth here.)

to start again after a plan or idea was not successful (“The client rejected our original concept, so it’s back to the drawing board.”)

a rough estimate (“If you don’t know the exact cost, just give a ballpark figure.”)

to do something different from a normal routine (“Company outings are a nice change of pace from our regular work week.”)

to be in trouble (“My coworker is in hot water after sending a rude email.”)

ideas that are feasible in a perfect world (“The manager’s blue-sky thinking always resulted in unrealistic expectations.”)