Scribd
Upload
24 views2 pages

Greek Mythology Expressions in Business English

The document outlines various expressions derived from Greek mythology that are used in business English, along with their meanings and examples of usage in business contexts. It includes phrases like 'Achilles’ heel' for vulnerabilities, 'Midas touch' for profitability, and 'Sisyphean task' for endless challenges. Additionally, it features a quiz to test understanding of these expressions in specific business scenarios.

Uploaded by

Dragica Zdraveska
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
24 views2 pages

Greek Mythology Expressions in Business English

The document outlines various expressions derived from Greek mythology that are used in business English, along with their meanings and examples of usage in business contexts. It includes phrases like 'Achilles’ heel' for vulnerabilities, 'Midas touch' for profitability, and 'Sisyphean task' for endless challenges. Additionally, it features a quiz to test understanding of these expressions in specific business scenarios.

Uploaded by

Dragica Zdraveska
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Greek Mythology Expressions in Business English

Expression Meaning Business Situation Example


A weakness or "The company’s Achilles’ heel is its slow supply
Achilles’ heel
vulnerability /saplai/chain, which competitors exploit."
The ability to make "Our CEO has the Midas touch—every project he
Midas touch
anything profitable leads turns into a success."
A source of "Implementing the new policy opened a Pandora’s
Pandora’s box
unexpected problems box of compliance issues."
A deceptive strategy "The free trial turned out to be a Trojan horse for
Trojan horse
used to infiltrate collecting customer data."
A task that requires "Rebranding the entire company in three months is a
Herculean task
great effort Herculean task."
A task that is endless "Trying to please every customer on social media
Sisyphean task
and ineffective feels like a Sisyphean task."
Sword of A looming threat or "With new competitors emerging, our market
Damocles danger dominance hangs under the Sword of Damocles."
A long and "Launching our startup was an odyssey, but we
Odyssey
challenging journey finally secured investors."
Pro crust ean A rigid, one-size-fits- "Using the same strategy for all markets is a
approach all method Procrustean approach that won't work."
"Raising prices might lose customers, but keeping
A situation with two
them low could hurt profits—it's like being between
Between Scylla difficult choices
Scylla and Charybdis."
and Charybdis Between the Devil
and the deep blue sea
It stays behind closed doors

Expression Meaning Business Situation Example


"The company was stuck in a financial Gordian
A complex problem
Gordian knot knot until the new CEO restructured everything
requiring a bold solution
overnight."
Pyrrhic A win that comes at too "We won the lawsuit, but the legal fees and
victory great a cost damaged reputation made it a Pyrrhic victory."
Cassandra A true but ignored "Our analyst issued a Cassandra warning about the
warning/ curse prediction market crash, but no one listened."
Icarus Overconfidence leading to "The startup expanded too fast and collapsed—it
syndrome failure was a case of Icarus syndrome."
An unstoppable opponent "The tech giant’s nemesis turned out to be a small,
Nemesis
or downfall innovative competitor."
Greek Mythology Business English Quiz

Choose the correct expression for each situation:

1. The company is struggling with a task that seems never-ending and unachievable. This
situation is best described as:
a) Herculean task
b) Sisyphean task
c) Odyssey
2. A business faces two bad choices: raising prices and losing customers or keeping them
low and losing profit. This is an example of:
a) Midas touch
b) Between Scylla and Charybdis
c) Achilles’ heel
3. A leader makes every project successful and highly profitable. They have the:
a) Pandora’s box
b) Midas touch
c) Sword of Damocles
4. A business opens a new department, but it leads to many unforeseen problems. This is
similar to:
a) Pandora’s box
b) Trojan horse
c) Odyssey
5. A company's biggest weakness is its poor customer service. This is its:
a) Achilles’ heel
b) Trojan horse
c) Herculean task

You might also like