on (one's) toes, shifter, drum sth up

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

The global recession has empowered a new, more discerning type of U.S. consumer to seek out the best deals and keep retailers on their toes, according to a new study by IBM's Institute for Business Value.

The rise of this class - dubbed the "Shifters" by IBM - comes against a backdrop of falling consumer confidence and discretionary spending that has retailers scrambling to drum up sales.



shifter
見風轉舵追求金錢經濟有效的族群
原義
n.

1. One who, or that which, shifts; one who plays tricks or practices artifice; a cozener.

'T was such a shifter that, if truth were known,
Death was half glad when he had got him down.

Milton.

2. (Naut.) An assistant to the ship's cook in washing, steeping, and shifting the salt provisions.

3. (Mach.) (a) An arrangement for shifting a belt sidewise from one pulley to another. (b) (Knitting Mach.) A wire for changing a loop from one needle to another, as in narrowing, etc.

on (one's) toes

1. Ready to act; alert.

drum sth up phrasal verb [M]
to increase interest in something or support for something:
He was trying to drum up some enthusiasm for the project.

shift

━━ v. 変える［わる］, 移す［る］; （ギアを）入れ替える ((up, down)); やりくりする［して暮す］; （責任を）転嫁する; ごまかす; 除く; 〔英話〕 素早く動く; 【言】（音を）推移させる.
shift for oneself　自力でやりくりする.
shift off　（責任などを）押しつける ((on)).
━━ n. 変更, 変化, 交替; 移動, 移行; （時にpl.） 方策, やりくり（算段）, ごまかし; ゆったりしたドレス; シュミーズ; 【球技】守備位置の移動; 交替の組; 交代制勤務（時間）, （特定の勤務シフトの）勤務班［組］; 【言】音韻推移; 【コンピュータ】シフト ((桁送り)); シフト（キー）.