shop (redirected from setting up shop)

be all over the shop (British, informal, American, informal)

1. to be scattered in a lot of different places. What have you been doing with your clothes? They're all over the shop!

2. to be confused and badly organized. I've been so unimpressed by their campaign. They're all over the shop. How can I tell what's the best deal when lending rates are all over the lot?

See also: all, over

be like a bull in a china shop

to often drop or break things because you move awkwardly or roughly. Rob's like a bull in a china shop - don't let him near those plants. She's like a bull in a china shop when it comes to dealing with people's feelings. (= behaves in a way that offends people)

See also: bull, china, like

a knocking shop (British, very informal, Australian, very informal)

a place where men pay to have sex with women. People say it's a knocking shop but I've never seen anything going on.

See also: knock

shop talk

talk shop - if people who work together talk shop, they talk about their work when they are not at work. Let's change the subject. That's enough shop talk for one evening.

See also: talk

shut up shop (British & Australian, mainly American)

to stop doing business, either temporarily or permanently. They were forced to shut up shop because they weren't getting enough customers.

See also: shut

talk shop

if people who work together talk shop, they talk about their work when they are not at work. Even when they go out in the evening, they just talk shop all the time.

See also: talk

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close up shop

to stop doing business. Poulin says high taxes and global competition have forced him to close up shop.

set up shop

See also: close

set up shop

to establish a business or an organization. Some companies have set up shop in other countries, like China. UN agencies have set up shop all over the world.

close up shop

See also: set

shop around

to compare the price and quality of similar items before buying one. You should certainly shop around before buying a new computer.

See also: around

talk shop

to talk about work when not working. Two New York Yankee pitchers will be there to sign autographs and talk shop with fans.

See also: talk