new broom
new broom
A new manager (of a company or organization) who has been hired specifically to make changes and improvements. After two years of falling profits, a new broom was hired to make budget cuts and improve the corporate culture.
See also: broom, new
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
a new broom
You can call someone a new broom when they have just started a new job in a senior position and are expected to make a lot of changes. We had a new, exceptionally young headmaster and he was a very active new broom. We need a new broom for the project to have credibility Note: You can use new-broom before a noun. If everyone is in the habit of arriving ten minutes late, a new-broom manager will have a struggle to change the habit. Note: You can also use the proverb a new broom sweeps clean. A new broom doesn't always sweep clean, it just brushes some of the worst dirt under the carpet for a while. Compare with make a clean sweep.
See also: broom, new
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
a new broom
a newly appointed person who is likely to make far-reaching changes.This phrase comes from the proverb a new broom sweeps clean .
See also: broom, new
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
a new ˈbroom (sweeps clean)
(British English, saying) a person who has just started to work for an organization, a department, etc., especially in a senior job, and who is likely to make a lot of changes: The new managing director is clearly a new broom. He’s already got rid of ten members of staff and now he’s looking at our working methods.See also: broom, new
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
- a new broom
- hired gun
- get up and go
- get-up-and-go
- loop in
- looped
- if you would be well served, serve yourself
- up-and-comer
- sticky fingers
- have sticky fingers