Three Biz Idioms

walkout
Definition: A strike; a unified employee protest against an employer.
Example: 1) The steel plant has been shut down by a walkout.
Etymology: This term came into use in the late 1880s, when labor unions began to organize mass protests against low wages and inhuman working conditions.


keep an eye on
Definition: To watch very carefully; to guard; to place under surveillance.
Example: 1) You have to keep an eye on those workers. One of them has been stealing french fries. 2) I'm going outside for a minute -- would you keep an eye on my books?
Etymology: Through your 'eyes' you see and understand the world, and when you 'keep an eye' on something, you constantly watch or monitor it to get a full understanding of what is happening.


barking up the wrong tree
Definition: Looking for something in the wrong place; to be mistaken.
Example: 1) Tanya tried to get some money from her uncle, but she was barking up the wrong tree -- he doesn't have a dime! 2) If you're looking for a new job, Ted, you're barking up the wrong tree. We aren't hiring right now.
Etymology: A dog will chase its prey (such as a cat) until it runs up a tree. The dog then barks to tell its owner where the prey is. Sometimes, the dog might get confused, and bark at the 'wrong tree' where there is no prey.