contract

Related to contract: contract law, employment contract, breach of contract, Elements of a Contract

a verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on

A humorous phrase emphasizing the lack of value and reliability in an oral contract. Typically attributed to 20th-century movie mogul Samuel Goldwyn, though the phrase is likely a misquote. Get everything in writing, Jean. How many times do I have to tell you—a verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on.
See also: contract, on, paper, verbal, worth, written

contract for (something)

To enter into an agreement with someone or a group to do or produce something. We contracted for that massive scanning project with an outside company because no one on our staff has time to do it.
See also: contract

contract for (something) with (someone or something)

To enter into an agreement with someone or a group to do or produce something. We contracted for that massive scanning project with an outside company because no one on our staff has time to do it.
See also: contract

contract out

To give a job or assignment to an outside entity (so as to avoid doing the job oneself). A noun or pronoun can be used between "contract" and "out." We contracted the project out because no one on our staff has the time to scan all of those documents.
See also: contract, out

contract with (someone or something)

To agree with someone or a group to do something. No one on our staff has the time to scan all of those documents, so we'll contract with a company that can do it for us.
See also: contract

contract with (someone or something) for (something)

To enter into an agreement with someone or a group to do or produce something. We contracted with an outside company for that massive scanning project that no one on our staff has time to do.
See also: contract

put a contract out on (one)

slang To order for one to be assassinated. Usually said in reference to organized crime. The mob put a contract out on the accountant because he had agreed to testify in court. It turns out that he had put a contract out on the owner of the business so that he could gain control of it.
See also: contract, on, out, put

sweetheart contract

1. An industrial agreement made between an employer and local labor union officials containing terms beneficial to the employer without the knowledge of the employees, typically in exchange for money to the union or its leaders. It was later discovered that the union leader had made a sweetheart contract with the company that eliminated employees' right to strike in exchange for a hefty yearly bonus for himself. The automotive manufacturer decided to move its factories to a different country, where it established a sweetheart contract with the local labor union to pay workers substantially less than those previously enjoyed by American employees.
2. Any kind of agreement or contract that is mutually beneficial two the two parties directly involved, typically at the expense of a third party that is not privy to the agreement. It turns out the athletic director had in place a sweetheart contract with the national athletics association, essentially receiving kickbacks every time one of his athletes performed well. The charity has come under fire for what some are calling a sweetheart contract with a for-profit events organizer that receives nearly 40% of the annual donations the charity receives.
See also: contract, sweetheart
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

contract something out

to make an agreement with someone to do a specific amount of work. (Rather than doing it oneself or in one's own place of business.) I will contract this out and have it done by consultants. I contracted out this kind of job the last time.
See also: contract, out

contract with someone (for something)

 and contract (with someone) for something
to make an agreement with someone to produce or supply something, or to do something. I will have to contract with an expert for that part of the project. We contracted with a local builder for a new kitchen. Did you contract for plumbing work with Eric?
See also: contract

put a contract out on someone

[for an underworld character] to order someone to kill someone else. The mob put out a contract on some crook from Detroit.
See also: contract, on, out, put
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

contract out

v.
To engage another person or company by contract to undertake some job that is typically considered part of one's business: Many companies contract out administrative tasks in order to concentrate on sales and marketing.
See also: contract, out
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • a verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on
  • verbal
  • include me out
  • include out
  • my body is ready
  • (Don't ask me,) I just work here.
  • (Don't ask me,) I only work here.
  • civil serpent
  • checks notes
  • Robert's your father's brother
References in periodicals archive
CLEVELAND (2) _ Signed Gavin Floyd, rhp, Atlanta, to a $4 million, one-year contract; signed Scott Downs, lhp, Kansas City, to a minor league contract ($800,000).
BC-BBO--FreeAgentSigning
Additional Insured status is a common, though often elusive, concept in many real estate contracts.
Unravelling myths surrounding additional insured coverage
In general, fixed-price contracts are more appropriate for production contracts where costs are either known or easily predicted, and cost-plus contracts are more appropriate in situations--such as development--where costs are uncertain.
Making the contract type fit the program
The proposed regulations do not distinguish between secured and unsecured annuity contracts, or between annuity contracts issued by an insurance company and those issued by a taxpayer other than an insurance company.
Service issues prop. regs. on exchanges for annuities
General Effective Date: Exchanges of property for an annuity contract after Oct.
Private annuities: proposed regulations would negate income tax benefits
The explanation would seem to imply the Peabody supply contracts, which would terminate before the coal was exhausted, were not like-kind to other real property.
Like-kind exchanges of real property
Federal authorities demanded that the contract be rescinded and new bids submitted.
MV transportation loses contract bid: awarding practices spark federal investigation
The FTC found that this was a way for physicians to communicate to their competitors what prices the physicians would like to get in the future, not what prices physicians had received in the past, or indeed, what physicians might settle for individually in a contract.
Anti-trust implications of independent practice associations
A company must reveal if it has ceded risk under any contract (or multiple contracts with the same reinsurer) for which the underwriting result is 3% or more than its year-end policyholders' surplus, and it accounted for the contract as reinsurance, and the contract has one or more of the following features:
Saved by the light: regulators and the industry hope that new disclosure requirements will eliminate shady finite reinsurance contracts and keep the product viable
Some processors benefit from annual resin contracts that give them better pricing than competitors.
Four ways to fight sky-high resin prices: there are lots of ways to economize on resin costs, but here are four that you may have overlooked: negotiating smarter resin contracts, buying "futures," using recycled resins, and more efficient purging aids. The main idea is to give yourself more choices, no matter what direction resin prices go
Likewise, distinguished Professor Steven Schooner of George Washington University Law School has stated in a recent paper on outsourcing, "The Government lacks sufficient qualified acquisition and contract management professionals to administer its requirements" (Schooner, 2004, p.
Why training for service contract management is mission essential
When the plugged-in Chickasaw tribe of Oklahoma lost out on a Defense Department contract last year, they used their influence with Pep.
Polar fleeced: Sen. Ted Stevens built a welfare state for Eskimos that made defense contractors rich
The VETS GWAC offers advantages to SDVOBs by providing opportunities to compete against a smaller group of contract holders, allowing self-marketing and a chance to develop their business before moving into larger acquisition environments.
Federal government contract to create boon for veteran-owned businesses
Hold Harmless Agreements or Clauses in contracts usually state that one party--most often the party writing or controlling the contract--be held harmless by the second party for any tort liability of the first party that arises out of the business activity referenced in the contract.
Contractual risk transfer--definitely not harmless
The Parts and Repair Ordering System (PROS II) is a government contract that is recognized by DoD as the government's source of supply for non-standard parts.
Parts repair ordering system