<B>The British Council?s language clinic with ?Dr Danny?</B>

Hello and welcome again to the English Language Clinic. This week I have been asked to explain the meanings of two terms associated with the business world. The first term is ?benchmark?. Originally, this word described a groove cut by surveyors in a wall or other structure. The surveying equipment was then placed on a ?bench? or bracket, which was wedged into the groove. Positioning the surveying equipment in this way meant that measurements could be taken from an easily and accurately reproducible height. Today, the term ?benchmark? is used to refer to any point of reference or recognised standard of quality or achievement.

The second term is the verb ?to cherry-pick?. A cherry-picker is a large hydraulic crane used to lift people so that they can reach the fruit at the tops of trees. Using this machine enables fruit pickers to choose only the best fruit. ?To cherry-pick? is therefore to choose only the best examples of something. In terms of employment, this expression has a very similar meaning to ?headhunt?; to choose only the best staff, even if they happen to be working for someone else. In more modern use, the term ?cherry-picker? is used to refer to a person offering biased evidence to support an argument or theory.

The current meanings of both ?benchmark? and ?cherry-pick? are relatively modern, can you guess the meanings of these ?new? business related words? ?Upskill?, ?wedge issue? (or, my favourite) ?the elephant in the room?.

The British Council wishes you a very happy fortieth anniversary of Mauritian Independence!

Please send your comments, queries and questions to ?Dr Danny? by emailing the address [email protected]. If you wish to develop your business English skills, contact our Customer Service Team for information on +230 403 0200.