EXPLOIT / EXPLORE

exploit:

To employ to the greatest possible advantage: exploit one's talents.  

To make use of selfishly or unethically: a country that exploited peasant labor. See synonims at manipulate.

To advertise; promote.

To put into action or use: actuate, apply, employ, exercise, implement, practice, use, utilize.

Idioms: avail oneself of, bring into play, bring to bear, make use of, put into practice, put to use. 

To take advantage of unfairly: abuse, impose, presume, use. See treat well/treat badly/treat.

To control to one's own advantage by artful or indirect means: maneuver, manipulate, play. See control/uncontrol, straight/bent.

explore:

v.tr. To investigate systematically; examine: explore every possibility.

To search into or travel in for the purpose of discovery: exploring outer space.

Medicine. To examine for diagnostic purposes.

v.intr. To make a careful examination or search: scientists who have been known to explore in this region of the earth. To go into or through for the purpose of making discoveries or acquiring information: delve, dig, inquire, investigate, look into, probe, reconnoiter, scout¹. See investigate.

Source: Answers.com

CONTRARY = ADVERSE = CONVERSE = OPPOSED TO = NOT IN AGREEMENT WITH >< HARMONIOUS

(adjective) not in agreement with; opposed to
------"The sale of the shares took place contrary to the terms of the agreement."
Synonyms
-----adverse: "The plaintiff believed that she had a clear case and thus was adverse to the idea of settling out of court."
------converse: "While the district court granted the plaintiff's motion, the appellate court took a converse position and ordered
------the district court to deny the motion."
Antonyms
------harmonious: "One result of the EU is that the laws of the member states have harmonious trade provisions."
Common phrases
------on the contrary: from another point of view. "On the contrary, she might just agree with you."
------to the contrary: to the opposite effect. "The company was not in financial difficulty in 2006; to the contrary,
------they increased their market share by 25%.
Common mistakes
------When talking about a statute or other regulation, use "in contravention of", as in:
------"The conduct was in contravention of applicable corporate governance regulations."
Source: Translegal

GENERAL or OVERALL INFORMATION?

(adj)
GENERAL:
1. Concerned with, applicable to, or affecting the whole or every member of a class or category: "subduing all her impressions as a woman, to something more general" (Virginia Woolf).
2. Affecting or characteristic of the majority of those involved; prevalent: general discontent.
3. Of or affecting the entire body: general paralysis.
4. Being usually the case; true or applicable in most instances but not all: the general correctness of her decisions.
5. a. Not limited in scope, area, or application: as a general rule. b. Not limited to or dealing with one class of things; diversified: general studies.
6. Involving only the main features rather than precise details: a general grasp of the subject.
7. Highest or superior in rank: the general manager.
OVERALL:
1. From one end to the other: the overall length of the house.
2. Including everything; comprehensive: the overall costs of medical care.
3. Regarded as a whole; general: My overall impression was favorable.
Source: Answers.com

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Former XYZ Partners' New Firm Thrives

The fledgling boutique has already picked up some notable new clients like ...
The timing was right for a change.
--------XX’s clients -- mostly major Hollywood studios and media companies -- were increasingly chafing at the rates he and his colleagues charged at Los Angeles-based litigation giant XYZ.
--------So XX and fellow media-focused XYZ partners BB and RR took a leap of faith in May and left the prominent firm to start their own litigation boutique in Los Angeles, called XX RR & RR.
--------"The three of us needed to choose the path that would most benefit the clients," XX said.
With the economy just starting to climb out of its slump, it may seem a risky time to launch any new venture. Kendall insists that the recession created the ideal conditions to start a new firm, thanks to the growing thriftiness of clients. The plan for the new firm was fairly simple: lower billing rates, more flexibility to enter into alternative fee arrangements and significantly lower overhead than their former firm.
--------Five months in, the trio's gamble seems to be paying off.
(Read full text at: http://www.law.com/jsp/law/sfb/lawArticleSFB.jsp?id=1202433993202&rss=newswire)
[Nomes substituídos por letras]

BIAS = INCLINATION = INCLINE = LEANING = PARTIALITY = PENCHANT =PREDILECTION = PREDISPOSITION = PROCLIVITY = PROPENSITY = TENDENCY >< DISINCLINATION

Bias: (noun) A line going diagonally across the grain of fabric: Cut the cloth on the bias.
A preference or an inclination, especially one that inhibits impartial judgment.
An unfair act or policy stemming from prejudice.
A statistical sampling or testing error caused by systematically favoring some outcomes over others.
Sports. A weight or irregularity in a ball that causes it to swerve, as in lawn bowling. The tendency of such a ball to swerve. The fixed voltage applied to an electrode. (adj. ) Slanting or diagonal; oblique: a bias fold.
Proclivity (noun) : A natural propensity or inclination; predisposition; a strong, inborn preference or fondness for something:
"Inclination" implies a mild interest in something. "Proclivity" indicates a strong interest or fondness.
"Fetish" implies an unusually strong, even unnatural proclivity toward an object. The word "fetish" is both mis- and overused, so bring "proclivity" into play when speaking of strong but comprehensible preferences. "He has a proclivity for peanut butter and guacamole sandwiches" or "She has a proclivity to overstate the historical importance of her ancestors."
Predilection: A partiality or disposition in favor of something; a preference.
Converse of object
have: Foreign banks do not have a proclivity nor do they really feel an interest or need to go down market.
demonstrate: Furthermore, Jeremiah does not elsewhere demonstrate a proclivity for making such specific predictions. Adjective modifier
ideological: And that primitivism, shorn of all its ideological proclivities, is better off with another name.
political: As to contemporary issues, the book concludes in a way that hardly matches my own political proclivities.
personal: There's nothing overtly broken with the game, but you may love or hate certain aspects of it depending on your personal proclivities.
natural: Janardhana was, by instinct and natural proclivity, a person who wanted to talk to families on a personal basis.
Source: YourDictionary/Answers.com

IMPARTIAL=DISINTERESTED=NEUTRAL=UNBIASED >< PARTIAL=INTERESTED=BIASED

(adjective) unbiased, disinterested, favouring neither party.
"The dispute will be resolved through the offices of an impartial third party."
Synonyms:
-------disinterested: "The parties chose a disinterested attorney to mediate their dispute."
-------neutral: "The court ordered a neutral observer to oversee the psychological examination of the defendant."
Antonyms:
-------biased: "All advocacy is, by definition, biased advocacy."
-------partial: "The presence of a partial juror, who had not disclosed that she held stock in the plaintiff company, resulted in a new trial of the case."
Other forms of the word:
-------impartiality: "Nobody questioned the judge's impartiality."
Common phrases: impartial third party / impartial observer / impartial arbitrator / impartial judge
Common mistake: While "partial" can also mean "not whole", impartial does not mean whole. The opposite of partial in that usage is "complete".
Related concepts:
-------OBJECTIVE: not influenced by personal feelings "A good judge takes an objective approach to every case."
Source: Translegal

FAIR / IMPARTIAL / HONEST / FREE FROM BIAS / EQUITABLE / UNBIASED / DISINTERESTED >< PREJUDICIAL / BIASED

(adj.) "Every defendant is entitled to a fair and impartial trial."
Synonyms
--------disinterested: "The parties agreed to appoint a disinterested third party to mediate their dispute."
unbiased: "In order to serve on a jury, a person must be unbiased."
Antonyms
--------prejudicial: "The refusal to admit the evidence was prejudicial error that caused the defendant to lose the case."
--------biased: "The city planning board was clearly biased in favor of the hotel owner."
Common phrases
"The compensation reflected to the fair market value of the shares."
"The song was considered a fair use of the copyrighted work."
"The EC promotes fair competition across Europe." "The citizens demanded free and fair elections."

CONSENSUS

(noun): An opinion or position agreed upon by a group as a whole by unanimous or nearly unanimous agreement.
----------The traditional bugaboo with today's word is the redundant phrase "consensus of opinion," which seems to mean "an opinion (…) of opinion," a redundant expression if taken literally. However, redundancy is, in fact, the life-blood of language, found commonly in emphatic statements (especially very, very, very emphatic ones), so redundancy is a weak argument for ridding the language of verbal expressions.
----------Plural? ... Simply "consensuses."
----------This is a word we need to work into our conversations more since many things need consensus: "I think we've reached a consensus that we will see 'Lord of the Rings' rather than 'Shrek 2' tonight, right?"
----------However, keep in mind that a consensus may be a convergence of things other than opinions, "The consensus of all the testimony supported the charge that Jarvis did, in fact, switch the signs on the men's and women's restrooms, which led the jury to reach a quick consensus itself."
Source: YourDictionary

TOP COMMERCIAL LAWYERS FORCED TO SLASH RATES

Michael Herman and Alex Spence
(http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article6843514.ece)
------The “magic circle” has lost some of its power: average hourly rates for London’s top commercial lawyers fell by a third last year as law firms offered substantial discounts after competition intensified in the downturn.
------Partners at London’s five elite firms billed an average of £450 an hour, down from £675 a year ago, according to Jim Diamond, an independent legal costs consultant.
------Mr Diamond said that the figures, collated from law firms and their clients, showed that the average cost of instructing a partner at Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Slaughter and May, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer or Linklaters had dropped to a five-year low.
------According to lawyers and their clients, the largest law firms, battered by the recession, are “falling over themselves” to cut prices in an attempt to retain business.
(see full text at: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article6843514.ece)

OFF-THE-SHELF >< CUSTOM-MADE

"sem restrições"/ "sem receita"/ "pronto a usar" / "pronto para uso" - dependendo do contexto. Ex.: Um aplicativo que já existe na loja para ser comprado e não precisa ser encomendado ou fabricado sob medida; remédios disponíveis "off the shelf" = "sem restrições"/ "sem receita"/ "pronto a usar" / "pronto para uso"
custom format = (de formato personalizado)
proprietary based = (de base proprietária, exclusivo).

ROSH HASHANAH (Jewish New Year - 5770): Starts today, September 18, at sundown

Rosh Hashanah (literally "head of the year) is a Jewish holiday commonly referred to as the "Jewish New Year."
---------The traditional Hebrew greeting on Rosh Hashanah is shana tova for "[a] good year", or shana tova umetukah for "[a] good and sweet year." Because Jews and the world are being judged by God for the coming year, a longer greeting translates as "may you be written and sealed for a good year" (ketiva ve-chatima tovah). It is customary that during the afternoon of the first day the practice of tashlikh is observed, in which prayers are recited near natural flowing water, and one's sins are symbolically cast into the water. Many also have the custom to throw bread or pebbles into the water, to symbolize the "casting off" of sins.
---------The Hebrew Bible defines Rosh Hashanah as a one-day observance, and since days in the Hebrew calendar begin at sundown, the beginning of Rosh Hashanah is at sundown at the end of 29 Elul. The rules of the Hebrew calendar are designed such that the first day of Rosh Hashanah will never occur on the first, fourth, or sixth days of the Jewish week[9] (ie Sunday, Wednesday or Friday).
Source: Wikipedia

LEAVE

----------(Noun) “No cenário trabalhista, conhecemos diversos tipos de licença, remunerada (paid) ou não (unpaid) pelo empregador, sem ou com garantia de emprego (job protected leave). Nesse contexto, a tradução do termo licença para o inglês é, em regra, leave [of absence]. Tanto o termo leave como o termo licença formam colocações com diversos outros termos. Entre essas combinações lexicais temos:
----------licença adoção – foster care leave - "Foster care leave: When an employee becomes a foster parent, he/she may request and be granted up to 12 weeks of leave, to be taken any time during the 12 months beginning with the date of placement of the child."
----------licença gestante – pregnancy leave - "Failing to credit female workers for pregnancy leave in their pensions amounts to a current violation of antidiscrimination laws."
----------licença maternidade – maternity leave - "Out of 177 countries surveyed, 169 offer paid maternity leave, 145 guarantee paid sick days, 137 mandate paid vacation[…]"
----------licença médica – medical leave - "Troubling news tonight for Apple cofounder and CEO Steve Jobs. Jobs is taking a medical leave of absence until the end of June."
----------licença não remunerada – unpaid leave - [The] "Family and Medical Leave Act, which allowed workers at larger firms to take unpaid leave because of pregnancy or medical conditions."
----------licença paternidade – paternity leave - "[…] we all know that the concept of men taking paternity leave is still taboo in plenty of workplaces."
----------licença remunerada – paid leave - [In] "BULGARIA Moms receive 45 days of paid leave prior to their due date, and can take a full two years of paid leave per child."
----------licença saúde – sick leave, disability leave - "In 1978, Congress passed the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which required companies to offer pregnancy leave on equal terms with disability leave policies for men."
----------licença trabalhista – worker’s leave - "Unless there is a relevant agreement for another date, the worker’s leave year begins on the date employment commenced […]"
Atenção para o cognato license (e.g. driver’s license), pois nem sempre representará a alternativa de tradução mais idiomática."
Source: Migalaw English

INTERNET SLANG: AFK / BTW / IRL / LOL / ROTF / TIA / TTYTT...

/ = another form of “over to you” (from x/y as “x over y”)
/\/\/\ = A giggle or chuckle. On a MUD, this usually means 'earthquake fault'.
\ = lambda (used in discussing LISPy things)
= grin
= grinning, ducking, and running
AFAIAC = as far as I am concerned
AFAIK = as far as I know
AFK = away from keyboard
b4 = before
BBL = be back later
BCNU = be seeing you
BRB = be right back
BTW = by the way
BYE? = are you ready to unlink? (to end a talk-mode conversation; the other person types BYE to confirm))
CU l8er = see you later (mutant of CU l8tr)
CU l8tr = see you later
CUL = see you later
ENQ? = are you busy? (expects ACK or NAK in return)
FOAD = fuck off and die (use of this is generally OTT)
FOO? = are you there? (often used on unexpected links, meaning also “Sorry if I butted in")
FWIW = for what it's worth
FYA = for your amusement
FYI = for your information
GA = go ahead (used when two people have tried to type simultaneously; this cedes the right to type to the other)
GRMBL = grumble (expresses disquiet or disagreement)
HELLOP = hello? (an instance of the ‘-P’ convention)
HHOJ = ha ha only joking
HHOK = ha ha only kidding
HHOS = ha ha only serious
IIRC = if I recall correctly
IMHO = in my humble opinion
IRL = in real life)
JAM = just a minute (equivalent to SEC.... )
LOL = laughing out loud
MIN = same as JAM
MLA = passionate kissing (major lip action).
MORF = male or female?
NHOH = Never Heard of Him/Her
NIL = no
NP = no problem
O = over to you
OBTW = oh, by the way
OIC = oh, I see
OO = over and out
OTOH = on the other hand
OTT = over the top (excessive, uncalled for)
ppl = abbrev for “people”
R U THERE? = are you there?
rehi = hello again
ROTF = Rolling On The Floor
ROTF = rolling on the floor
ROTFL = rolling on the floor laughing
SEC = wait a second (sometimes written SEC... )
SYN = Are you busy? (expects ACK, SYNACK, or RST in return; based on the TCP/IP handshake sequence)
T = yes
TAN= = an aggressive male (tough as nails)
THX = thanks (mutant of TNX; clearly this comes in batches of 1138 (the Lucasian K)).
TIA = hanks In Advance
TNX 1.0E6 = thanks a million (humorous)
TNX = thanks
TNXE6 = another form of “thanks a million”
TTBOMK = to the best of my knowledge
TTFN = ta-ta for now
TTYL = talk to you later
TTYTT = to tell you the truth
UOK? = are you OK?
WRT = with regard to, or with respect to.
WTF = the universal interrogative particle; WTF knows what it means?
WTH = what the hell?
YHTBT = You Had To Be There
Source: Answers.com

NON SEQUITUR

--------Literally, not following (logically), illogical, not connected to anything previously said or (as a noun) a statement not following logically from what was previously said. It originates in logic, where it refers to an inference not following from the premise.
--------This is a pretty harsh criticism of someone's logical powers, so it should be applied directly only in extreme circumstances and indirectly only with cause. "What she is saying sounds fine but if you think for a minute, you see that it is non sequitur." (não tem lógica / não é lógico / não faz sentido) Or, as a noun: "If his non sequiturs (foras?) weren't so funny, he would be a detriment to the negotiations."
Source: YourDictionary

HOPEFULLY

(adverb): In a manner characterized by a combination of desire and expectation.
--------Constructions like "Hopefully, it won't rain" are often condemned because such statements contain nothing capable of hope for the adverb to modify. But it is odd that similar constructions using "frankly," "sadly" and "mercifully" are likely to pass without comment—"hopefully" has for some reason been singled out for disapprobation. Although there is now general acceptance that such "sentence adverbs" may be used to indicate the speaker's frame of mind, you may wish to avoid them if your speech or writing is going to be critically scrutinized.
--------The noun and verb "hope" are parents to the adjective "hopeful" and its opposite "hopeless," and their associated nouns "hopefulness" and "hopelessness."
-------- "Hopefully, I'll be in the casino tonight." (You wouldn't go if you weren't hopeful.) But beware that a sentence adverb can be misinterpreted if people are the subject of your sentence: "They're to be married, hopefully, in the spring." (Do you hope for a spring wedding, or is their betrothal to be founded on nothing more than hope?)
Source:YourDictionary

GOSSIP / GRAPEVINE / SCUTTLEBUTT / HEARSAY / WORD / TALK / RUMOR (NOUN)

fofoca, conversa fiada, bisbilhotice, mexerico, rádio peão, rumor
Gossip: Rumor or talk of a personal, sensational, or intimate nature. A person who habitually spreads intimate or private rumors or facts. Trivial, chatty talk or writing. A close friend or companion. Chiefly British: A godparent.
------"Gossip is when you hear something you like about someone, you don't." - Earl Wilson
------“The only time people dislike gossip is when you gossip about them”.
------"Gossip is the art of saying nothing in a way that leaves practically nothing unsaid." - Walter Winchell
------"It is perfectly monstrous the way people go about nowadays saying things against one, behind one's back, that are absolutely and entirely true." - Oscar Wilde
------"There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." - Oscar Wilde
------"Show me someone who never gossips, and I will show you someone who is not interested in people." - Barbara Walters
Grapevine: The informal transmission of information, gossip, or rumor from person to person. usually unrevealed source of confidential information.
------“Heard it through/on the grapevine.”
Scuttlebutt: The drinking fountain aboard a ship; (colloquial U.S.) idle gossip, rumor emanating from the water cooler. On shore, the word is used widely as a synonym for gossip but should be restricted to the gossip likely to be picked up at the water cooler or fountain. Today's word has no correlate verb or adjective. Remember, this word is not a synonym of "gossip" and should be restricted to the office (or on board ship), places which afford drinking fountains or water coolers.
------"Raymond, scuttlebutt has it you are in line for a big transmotion." "Have you heard the scuttlebutt about the boss's wife? They say she had one facelift too many and now every time she sits down she grins."
gossip, blab, tattle (verb). These verbs mean to engage in or communicate idle, indiscreet talk: gossiping about the neighbors; can't keep a secret—he always blabs; is disliked for tattling on mischief-makers.
Sources: YourDictionary.com/Answers.com