biz
(bɪz)
Colloq. abbrev., orig. U.S., of business. So show biz (see show n.1).
| 1862 C. F. Browne Artemus Ward His Bk. 222, I must forth to my Biz. 1873 Leland Egypt. Sketch-Bk. 35 No. IV. made it his ‘biz’ to fall upon the old hands. 1878 J. H. Beadle Western Wilds iii. 46 He had what he called a ‘big biz’ at each successive terminus town. 1890 Harper's Mag. Apr. 813/1 I'll go Down to the sale, if I can leave my biz. 1909 Wodehouse Mike xx. 115 As the poet has it, ‘Pleasure is pleasure, and biz is biz, and kep' in a sepyrit jug.’ 1941 F. Scott Fitzgerald Last Tycoon (1947) iii. 36 The cleverest plagiarist in the biz. |