In my opinion, one of the most interesting parts of any job that involves dealing directly with the public is the chance to pick up on figures of speech you may not have heard before.
Yesterday I met with a customer who's proving to be a great referral source, For privacy purposes, we'll call her Kate. Kate grew up in Belfast (Northern), Ireland and continued to live in Belfast until completing her MBA at Belfast University.
Kate's an attractive, energetic, personable, strong-minded, well-educated entrepreneur. She presently runs a Business Coaching service and works with several clients as CFO-for-hire. In the 22 years since emigrating (or is it immi-?) from Ireland to the US, Kate has diligently practiced speaking the King's English in such a way that none of her Irish brogue is noticeable in general conversation.
Yesterday I called on Kate hoping for a tour of her new office. During the visit she brought me up to date on the status of a negotiation for the purchase of commercial real estate in which she's representing a mutual customer as business advisor. At the close of the conversation, Kate said, "So, we're at swings 'n' roundabouts." Not wanting to appear ignorant, but out of utter confusion, I asked, "Is that like saying "Six of one, half-dozen of the other"? "No, silly", she replied. "It's. . . "
Challenge to AR members: Please respond to this post with the answer to what the phrase "We're at swings n' roundabouts" means!
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