Using English at Work：50 Leaving Work(2)

（单词翻译）

When your wife is getting dressed in the morning, a finishing touch may be a piece of jewelry¹, the last thing that she puts on.

I'm talking about putting the finishing touches on my report, which might be writing a little more text or perhaps formatting² the document differently.

I say that I can put those finishing touches on the report on Monday morning before I submit³ it to my boss.

"To submit" here means⁴ to turn something in to someone - to give something to someone, usually for them to look at and review.

You can submit a job application if you are trying to get a job, or you can submit a drawing in a drawing or art contest to win a prize.

Once my report is finished on Monday, I'll need to submit, or give, it to my boss so that he can read it.

Some weeks I have to take work home.

"To take work home" means to do work at home, either at night or on the weekends, because you didn't have time to complete it at the office.

I don't like taking work home, but sometimes it's necessary if I want to finish a project on time.

When I take work home, I have to burn the midnight oil.

"To burn the midnight oil" means to work or study very late at night when everyone else is asleep.

Most people are sleeping by midnight, but if I am burning the midnight oil, I am working at that time.

The expression comes from when lamps had oil in them, and you would light that; the oil would burn so that you would have light.

Fortunately, this week I don't have to take work home and burn the midnight oil.

I have everything under control.

The phrase⁵ "under control" means that something is manageable, or that you can handle or control it.

The opposite would be to say that things are "out of control," meaning that you can't handle or manage the situation.