business as usual

Idioms  

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]

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Example Sentences

Venezuela, which has the world's largest proven oil reserves, shrugged off the threat of more pain, insisting that it was proceeding with business as usual.

From Barron's

For Chevron, though, it remains business as usual.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Yes, yes, and yes: It is business as usual,” she told Barron’s. “iRobot is here to stay, and we expect no disruptions to our operations.”

From Barron's

Inside the offices and writers' rooms, for those still working, it's business as usual.

From BBC

“We further note that, because Alibaba does not do business related to U.S. military procurement, being on the Section 1260H List wouldn’t affect our ability to conduct business as usual in the United States or anywhere in the world.”

From Barron's