on the ball

昨日の朝、裏ゼミ活動で扱った記事から表現をご紹介します。

Women at Work / Have the right look for every occasion

As more women assume management roles, many are concerned over having the right kind of clothes for their position. How should one strike the right balance between proper and attractive? We asked experts and women in managerial positions.

“Is black the only color that can give the impression of being on the ball?”

Momoko Omata of the merchandising section of Sogo & Seibu Co. said she often gets this question from women who have entered management jobs.

（以下省略）

http://www.the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002974741

今回は”being on the ball”に注目いたします。

Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (8th edition, Oxford University Press)によると、”(be) on the ball”で”to be aware of and understand what is happening and able to react quickly”とのことでした。例として、”The new publicity manager is really on the ball.”と載っておりました。

『ジーニアス英和辞典』（第五版，大修館）には、「〈人が〉油断のない，〈人が〉機敏な，有能な」と載っておりました。

これらをふまえ” the impression of being on the ball”は、「仕事ができる（できそうな）印象」といった意味になるかと思います。