trade (redirected from trading off)

do a roaring trade (British & Australian, American)

to sell a lot of goods quickly. It was a hot day and the ice-cream sellers were doing a roaring trade. (usually in continuous tenses) The toy department was doing a roaring trade in furry dinosaurs. (often + in)

See also: roaring

a jack of all trades

someone who has many skills or who does many different jobs. Bill can do plumbing, carpentry, or a bit of gardening - he's a jack of all trades, really.

See also: all, jack

ply your trade (literary)

to do your usual work or business. Fishermen in small boats ply their trade up and down the coast.

See also: ply

rough trade (very informal)

men who have sex with other men for money and who look as if they come from a low social class. He went to the docks to pick up a bit of rough trade.

See also: rough

the tools of the/your trade

the things that you need to use in order to do a job. For the modern sales executive, a car phone is one of the tools of the trade.

See also: tool

tricks of the trade

clever methods that help you to do a job better or faster. As a journalist, you learn the tricks of the trade pretty quickly or you don't survive.

See also: trick

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ply your trade

to do your usual work. Fishermen in small boats ply their trade up and down the coast.

See also: ply

tools of the trade

the things that are needed in order to do a job. Eileen's dress-making shop had buttons and thread and needles and scissors, all the tools of the trade.

See also: tool

trade down

to exchange something expensive for something that costs less. The family traded down to a smaller house, cutting their mortgage payments in half.

See also: down

trade in something

to return something as part of a payment for something similar. I traded in my wonderful little sports car for a much more practical van. The store wouldn't give me a refund on the camera, but they offered to let me trade it in.

Usage notes: usually said about a device, a piece of equipment, or a vehicle

trade on something

to use something for your own advantage. The mayoral candidate ran the kind of campaign that trades on most people's fear of crime. George traded upon his family's powerful connections.

trade places

change places

See also: place

trade up

to replace something with something better or more valuable. When Phil needed a new car, he decided to trade up and bought a luxury car.

tricks of the trade

methods that help you to do a job better or faster. As a journalist, you learn the tricks of the trade pretty quickly or you don't get your stories.

See also: trick