business as usual

1. The normal course of some activity, as in The fire destroyed only a small section of the store, so it's business as usual. This term originated as an announcement that a commercial establishment was continuing to operate in spite of fire, construction, or some similar interruption. It had been extended to broader use by 1914, when Winston Churchill said in a speech: “The maxim of the British people is ‘Business as usual,’” which became a slogan for the rest of World War I. Today it may be used in this positive sense and also pejoratively, as in Never mind that most civilians are starving to death—the ministry regards its job to be business as usual. [Late 1800s]

Example Sentences

To a mere mortal CEO, this would be a recipe for disaster, but for Ellison, it’s business as usual.

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The shutdown is disrupting business as usual in many ways—and reinforcing just how many private-sector operations depend on a federal bureaucracy humming on all cylinders.

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“When the war ends, the channel will change and people will go back to business as usual, more or less.”

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Others, however, say a return to business as usual—at least in the near term—would be unlikely, especially if Netanyahu remains in power.

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The park, which remains open for business as usual while a new owner is sought, has 36 rides and activities along with more than large-scale 90 dinosaurs - some fibreglass, some animatronic.

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