a new broom sweeps clean

proverb A new manager (of a company or organization) will be able to bring a fresh perspective and energy necessary to making beneficial changes and improvements. After two years of falling profits, the company needed to make big budget cuts and drastically improve its corporate culture, so a whole new upper management team was brought on board. A new broom sweeps clean, after all. A: "I'm hoping Jill will make some big changes to how things operate now that she's been promoted to General Manager." B: "She's already been talking about all the things she wants to improve, and a new broom sweeps clean." Don't you worry that there will be layoffs once this new management team takes over? "A new broom sweeps clean," and all that?

all mops and brooms

Drunk. Likely a reference to the mops and brooms needed to clean up after drunk people who vomit. I can't stand coming to this bar—it's full of college kids who are all mops and brooms for the first time. I got all mops and brooms at the party last night, and I'm paying for it today, all right. I may never drink again! Tommy really needs to stop drinking, or he'll be all mops and brooms tomorrow.

broom closet

The figurative place where one hides one's practice of Wicca or other Pagan religious beliefs or activities from other people, likened to a homosexual person being "in the closet" when they have not publicly revealed their sexual orientation. "Broom" is a reference to the stereotypical accessory of witches. I had been studying the intricacies of real witchcraft for several years before I came out of the broom closet to my parents. My daughter has a vivid imagination and has convinced herself that the old lady next door is in the broom closet because she has a black cat and doesn't say much. I wouldn't say that I'm in the broom closet exactly—I just enjoy learning about mystical things.

broom up

1. To clean something up using a broom; to sweep something up. A noun or pronoun can be used between "broom" and "up." I was excited about my internship with a local barber, until I realized that all I'd be doing was brooming hair up all day. My father didn't say a word as he broomed up the broken glass left over from the attack on his shop. Hey, keep the kids in there so I can broom up all these crumbs on the kitchen floor.

2. dated Of a piece of wood, to become split and frayed, like the end of a broom. The storm left the jib boom pretty badly broomed up. Watch out for splinters—Pat broomed up the deck pretty good when he power washed it. A: "That hit sure broomed up Jed's bat!" B: "I know, a whole section of it flew off and almost hit the third baseman!"

jump the broom

1. To jump from one side of a broom to the other with one's new spouse. A custom that originates in various European heritages, it is now a widespread tradition in African-American communities. The phrase can also be written as "jump (over) the broomstick." It's important to me that we both jump the broom during our ceremony. Jumping over the broomstick symbolizes the sweeping away of one's past life and the start of a new one with your spouse.

2. By extension, to get married. It seemed like Thomas wasn't ever going to jump the broom, but I suppose it's never too late to find love. Martin and Mary will be jumping the broom next summer.

new broom

A new manager (of a company or organization) who has been hired specifically to make changes and improvements. After two years of falling profits, a new broom was hired to make budget cuts and improve the corporate culture.

See also: broom, new

New brooms sweep clean.

and A new broom sweeps clean.

Prov. Someone who is new in a particular job will do a very good job at first, to prove how competent he or she is. Jill: That new supervisor is awfully strict. Jane: New brooms sweep clean. The new teacher immediately flunked three of the laziest students. "A new broom sweeps clean," one of the students shrugged.

new broom sweeps clean, a

A fresh leader or administration gets rid of the old and brings in new ideas and personnel. For example, Once he takes office, you can be sure the President will replace most of the people on the staff-a new broom sweeps clean . This term was already in John Heywood's 1546 proverb collection, was used figuratively by Shakespeare, and exists in many other languages as well.

a new broom

You can call someone a new broom when they have just started a new job in a senior position and are expected to make a lot of changes. We had a new, exceptionally young headmaster and he was a very active new broom. We need a new broom for the project to have credibility Note: You can use new-broom before a noun. If everyone is in the habit of arriving ten minutes late, a new-broom manager will have a struggle to change the habit. Note: You can also use the proverb a new broom sweeps clean. A new broom doesn't always sweep clean, it just brushes some of the worst dirt under the carpet for a while. Compare with make a clean sweep.

See also: broom, new

a new broom

a newly appointed person who is likely to make far-reaching changes.

This phrase comes from the proverb a new broom sweeps clean .

See also: broom, new

a new ˈbroom (sweeps clean)

(British English, saying) a person who has just started to work for an organization, a department, etc., especially in a senior job, and who is likely to make a lot of changes: The new managing director is clearly a new broom. He’s already got rid of ten members of staff and now he’s looking at our working methods.

See also: broom, new

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