Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Salesman |
SalesmanNoun1. A man salesperson. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "salesman" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1838. (references) |
Note: Salesman \Sales"man\ (s[=a]lz"man), noun; plural Salesmen(-men). [Sale + man.]. (references) |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Salesman is a 1969 cinema verite documentary film which follows four salesmen of expensive Bibles door-to-door in a low-income neighborhood which can't afford expensive Bibles. It was directed by brothers Albert and David Maysles, and Charlotte Zwerin. The film has been deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Salesman (1969 movie)."
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Merchant | Noun: merchant, trader, dealer, monger, chandler, salesman; changer; regrater; shopkeeper, shopman; tradesman, tradespeople, tradesfolk. |
Petitioner | Canvasser, bagman; salesman. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Salesman |
| English words defined with "salesman": advertise, advertize ♦ bagman, beat, book agent ♦ Cash boy, cheat, chisel, commercial traveler, commercial traveller, Counterjumper ♦ for good measure ♦ goffer, gopher ♦ peer, pitchman, poke, pound, promote, push ♦ rip off, roadman ♦ sale, sales agreement, Salesmen, Shopman ♦ thump, traveling salesman, travelling salesman ♦ work. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "salesman": Christofides algorithm, Church of the SubGenius ♦ limb ♦ memetic algorithm ♦ NP-hard ♦ objective function ♦ SAWYER ♦ traveling salesman problem, travelling salesman problem, TSP ♦ unique sales point ♦ wine traveller. (references) |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | The guy is a used car salesman! This just keeps getting better and better (True Lies; writing credit: Claude Zidi; Simon Michaël) You are a sporting goods salesman! (City Slickers; writing credit: Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, and Billy Crystal) Well, you look like a bible salesman. (Gone in Sixty Seconds; writing credit: Scott Rosenberg) I am not allowing my wife to date a bra salesman! (Seinfeld; writing credit: Andreas Lenze; Bea Schmidt) If that's another one of them salesman, I'm gonna (Life with Louie; writing credit: Martin Miehe-Renard; Mette Andersen Ottesen) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Secrets of a Door-to-Door Salesman (1973) Door to Door Salesman (1970) Prehistoric Super Salesman (1969) Salesman (1969) Death of a Salesman (1966) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books |
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Periodicals |
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Theater & Movies | |||
Music |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Critical moments. Steering a stock salesman against the man who invested in Belgian hares, ginseng ... Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Bargain day, a covered wagon traveling salesman weighing produce, Pinehurst, North Carolina. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Death of a salesman / Joseph Hirsch. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Occupational portrait of a salesman, three-quarter length, seated, displaying his wares. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Necktie salesman. Omaha, Nebraska. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Salesman displaying patent medicine to farmers who have brought tobacco to warehouse and are waiting outside for the sales to begin. Mebane, North Carolina. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Traveling salesman in hotel lobby. Elkins, West Virginia. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | International Business Machine Country Club, Sands Point, Long Island. Seminar room III, with plywood salesman. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Electric Institute of Washington, Potomac Electric Power Co. Building. Housewife at door with salesman I. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Henry B. Harris presents The traveling salesman a comedy by James Forbes, author of The chorus lady. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
| Author | Quotation |
Dr. Frank Crane | The book salesman should be honored because he brings to our attention, as a rule, the very books we need most and neglect most. |
Oscar Wilde | The salesman knows nothing of what he is selling save that he is charging a great deal too much for it. |
W. Clement Stone | Sales are contingent upon the attitude of the salesman -- not the attitude of the prospect. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Title | Author | Quote |
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency | Douglas Adams | Didn’t this car have heated wing mirrors? Hadn’t the salesman gone on and on about heated this, electric that, and servo-assisted the other |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Political Economy | THE BAHAMAS | These include: fine jewelry, goods for business meetings or conventions, traveling salesman samples, automobiles or motorcycles, photographic and cinematographic equipment, and equipment or tools for repair work. (references) |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | LIMB, n. The branch of a tree or the leg of an American woman. 'Twas a pair of boots that the lady bought, And the salesman laced them tight To a very remarkable height -- Higher, indeed, than I think he ought -- Higher than can be right. For the Bible declares -- but never mind: It is hardly fit To censure freely and fault to find With others for sins that I'm not inclined Myself to commit. Each has his weakness, and though my own Is freedom from every sin, It still were unfair to pitch in, Discharging the first censorious stone. Besides, the truth compels me to say, The boots in question were made that way. As he drew the lace she made a grimace, And blushingly said to him: "This boot, I'm sure, is too high to endure, It hurts my -- hurts my -- limb." The salesman smiled in a manner mild, Like an artless, undesigning child; Then, checking himself, to his face he gave A look as sorrowful as the grave, Though he didn't care two figs For her paints and throes, As he stroked her toes, Remarking with speech and manner just Befitting his calling: "Madam, I trust That it doesn't hurt your twigs." B. Percival Dike |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Phrase(s) |
Dennis Miller | Ideally my clone would have the face of that florid used car salesman in Calabasas who screwed me over on that Dodge Polara back when I was in college. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| "Salesman" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 98.41% of the time. "Salesman" is used about 441 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 98.41% | 434 | 13,249 |
| Noun (proper) | 1.13% | 5 | 157,705 |
| Noun (common) | 0.45% | 2 | 245,945 |
| Total | 100.00% | 441 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expressions using "salesman": car salesman ♦ traveling salesman ♦ traveling salesman problem ♦ travelling salesman ♦ travelling salesman problem. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "salesman": salesman-cum-lodging-house, salesman-like. | |
Ending with "salesman": ex-salesman, super-salesman. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Language | Translations for "salesman"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Afrikaans | verkoopsman. (various references) | |
Albanian | shitësi, shitës (clerk, merchant, monger, salesclerk, seller, shop assistant, trader, tradesman, trafficker, vender, vendor), komisioner (broker, factor). (various references) | |
Arabic | موظف المبيعات, بائع (dealer, hawker, seller, vendor). (various references) | |
Aymara | aljheri. (various references) | |
Bulgarian | търговски пътник (bagman, commercial, drummer, rep, traveling salesman, travelling salesman), търговски посредник (jobber), продавач (counterman, monger, sales clerk, salesclerk, seller, shop assistant, shop boy, shopman, vender, vendor). (various references) | |
Catalan | venedor (seller). (various references) | |
Chinese | 推"员 (Salesmen, salesperson). (various references) | |
Croatian | prodavaè. (various references) | |
Czech | prodavaè (salesclerk, seller, shop assistant, vender, vendor), obchodní zástupce (rep), obchodní cestující (commercial traveller, traveler, traveller). (various references) | |
Danish | traveling salesman problem (traveling salesman problem), handelsrejsende-problem (traveling salesman problem). (various references) | |
Dutch | verkoper (vendor). (various references) | |
Esperanto | vendisto. (various references) | |
Farsi | فروشنده سیار, فروشنده (Dealer, Seller, Vendor), ویزیتور. (various references) | |
Finnish | myyjä (seller, vendor), kauppa-apulainen (shop-assistant), kauppa-ala (shop-assistant). (various references) | |
French | vendeur (sales clerk, salesclerk, salesperson). (various references) | |
French Canadian | vendeur (seller). (various references) | |
Frisian | ferkeaper. (various references) | |
German | Verkäufer (clerk, purveyor, sales assistant, sales clerk, salesclerk, salesperson, seller, sellers, shop assistant, shopman, shopmen, vender, venders, vendor, vendors), Geschäftsmann (businessman, trader, tradesman). (various references) | |
Greek | πωλητήσ πλασιέ, πωλητήσ (monger, salesclerk, seller, vender), πωλητής (supplier, vendor). (various references) | |
Hebrew | מוכר (familiar, known, recognized, seller, vendor, well known), זבן (salesclerk, seller). (various references) | |
Hungarian | kereskedõ (Chandler, dealer, merchant, monger, trader, tradesman, trafficker, vendor), eladó (merchantable, merchantman, on offer, on sale, salable, saleable, sales person, salesclerk, seller, shop assistant, vendor). (various references) | |
Indonesian | pramuniagawan. (various references) | |
Italian | commesso (clerk, sales assistant, sales clerk, salesclerk, shop assistant). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 営業マン (businessman), セーラー服 (middy uniform, sailor suit, sale, sales, sales approach). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | セールスマン , えいぎょうマン (businessman). (various references) | |
Luxembourgish | vendeur. (various references) | |
Manx | creckeyder (seller, vendor). (various references) | |
Papiamen | bendedó. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | alesmansay.(various references) | |
Portuguese | vendedor (bargainer, chinaman, outfitter, salesclerk, seller, vender, vendor). (various references) | |
Portuguese Brazilian | vendedor. (various references) | |
Romanian | vânzãtor într-un magazin (shop assistant), vânzãtor (clerk, retailer, salesclerk, seller, shopman, vender), intermediar (agent, factor, go between, interjacent, intermediary, intermediate, intermedium, mediate, mediator, medium, middleman, negotiator, neutral, wangler), comisionar (broker, carrier, commissionnaire, consignee, errand boy, middleman, outside porter, page). (various references) | |
Russian | продавец (counterman, monger, sales clerk, salesclerk, salespeople, salesperson, seller, sellers, shop assistant, shop-assistant, shopman, vender, vendor). (various references) | |
Scottish | reiceadair (seller, vendor). (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | prodavac (bargainer, clerk, merchandiser, monger, peddler, pedlar, salesclerk, salesperson, seller, shop assistant, vender, vendor). (various references) | |
Slovene | prodajalec. (various references) | |
Spanish | vendedor (cattleman, salesclerk, seller, trader, vendor). (various references) | |
Swedish | resande (itinerant, salesperson, traveler, traveling, traveller, travelling, voyager), representant (delegate, deputy, representative, salesperson), försäljare (cheap jack, salesmen, salesperson, seller, vender, vendor, vendors), expedit (assistant, clerk, salesclerk, salesperson, saleswoman, shop assistant, shop-assistant), bodbetjänt, affärsbiträde (salesclerk, salesperson, shop assistant). (various references) | |
Turkish | satıcı (dealer, monger, salesclerk, saleslady, salesperson, saleswoman, seller, shop assistant, supplier, trafficker, vender, vendor), satış elemanı (commercial traveler, commercial traveller, marketing executive, saleslady, salesperson, saleswoman, shopgirl), tezgâhtar (assistant, clerk, counterjumper, counterman, salesclerk, saleslady, salesperson, saleswoman, shop assistant), pazarlamacı (commercial traveler, commercial traveller, drummer, marketing assocoate, saleslady, salesperson, saleswoman, traveler, traveller). (various references) | |
Ukrainian | родавець, торговець (bargainer, dealer, merchandiser, merchandizer, merchant, monger, seller, trader, tradesman, trafficker, vendor), комісіонер (commissionaire, factor, middleman), комівояжер (bagman, drummer, outrider, solicitor, tout, traveller). (various references) | |
Yucatec | konol. (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | caupo. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "salesman": salesmanship, salesmanships. (additional references) | |
Words ending with "salesman": supersalesman. (additional references) | |
| |
"Salesman" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Allemann, Ashelman, Halsmann, Salamano, Salema, saleman, salesiane, salvesan, scalesman, Searlesja, Selemani, Souleiman, Sulejman, Syleyma. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "salesman" (pronounced sā"lzmun) |
| 4 | -z m u n | backwoodsman, chrismon, headsman, jasmine, landsman, oarsman, ombudsman, seedsman, townsman, tradesmen, woodsmen. |
| 3 | -m u n | famine, ferryman, fireman, firemen, Firman, abdomen, acumen, adman, admen, airman, albumin, alderman, antihistamine, Ashman, assemblywoman, backgammon, Badman, bagman, barman, baseman, bayman, bellman, Benjamin, bitumen, Boardman, boatman, bookman, Bowman, bowmen, brakeman, bushman, businesswoman, cameraman, Carman, Carmen, carmine, cattlemen, Cayman, chairman, chairwoman, Chapman, chessman, churchman, churchmen, cinnamon, clergyman, coachman, cochairman, committeeman, common, congressman, congresswoman, corpsman, councilman, councilwoman, councilwomen, countryman, cowman, craftsman, craftsmen, crewman, daemon, dairymen, Daman, demon, desman, determine, Dolman, draftsman, draftsmen, dromon, dustman, Dutchman, Ermine, Everyman, examine, footman, foramen, foreman, foremen, forewoman, Freedman, Freeman, freshman, gammon, gentleman, gentlewoman, gentlewomen, german, Goodman, gunman, hangman, headman, henchman, henchmen, Herdman, Hetman, horseman, horsemen, houseman, human, huntsman, hymen, illumine, infantryman, inhuman, Kirkman, Landman, lawman, layman, laymen, Leman, lemon, Letterman, Liman, Lineman, linemen, lobsterman, longshoremen, lumen, madmen, marksman, messman, midshipman, newswoman, newswomen, nobleman, noblewoman, nonhuman, nurserymen, omen, ottoman, Outman, overman, Packman, Penman, pitchman, Pitman, Plowman, policeman, policewoman, postman, predetermine, pressman, Pullman, ragmen, reexamine, regimen, rifleman, Rodman, roman, rumen, salarymen, saleswoman, saleswomen, salmon, seaman, seamen, semen, sermon, shaman, Shipman, showman, Spearman, specimen, spokesman, spokeswoman, sportsman, statesman, Stillman, Stockman, subhuman, summon, superhuman, superwoman, talisman, Telamon, thiamin, timberman, Titman, Toman, trainmen, uncommon, vitamin, watchman, Waterman, watermen, wingman, wireman, woman, women, Woodman, Woolman, workman, yachtsman, yeoman. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-a-e-l-m-n-s-s" | |
-1 letter: anlases, manless. | |
-2 letters: lemans, manses, mensal, mensas, messan, nasals, seaman. | |
-3 letters: alane, alans, almas, almes, amass, amens, anlas, ansae, elans, lamas, lames, lanes, lases, leans, leman, males, manas, manes, manse, massa, masse, meals, means, mensa, mesas, names, nasal, nemas, sales, salsa, sanes, seals, seams, sensa, slams. | |
-4 letters: aals, alae, alan, alas, ales, alma, alme. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-a-e-l-m-n-s-s" | |
+2 letters: landmasses, manslayers, saleswoman. | |
+3 letters: amiableness, assemblyman, leishmanias, metanalyses, metanalysis, misanalyses, misbalances, plasmagenes, salamanders, salmonellas, statesmanly. | |
+4 letters: amicableness, anaplasmoses, antirealisms, damnableness, familiarness, glutaminases, malapertness, malfeasances, materialness, maternalisms, melanoblasts, mesalliances, misalliances, mistranslate, paternalisms, sacramentals, salesmanship. | |
+5 letters: admirableness, amiablenesses, anecdotalisms, anomalousness, assemblywoman, complaisances, elasmobranchs, emasculations, fraternalisms, leishmaniases, leishmaniasis, lowerclassman, maladroitness, malversations, manslaughters, microanalyses, mistranslated, mistranslates, planetesimals, salesmanships, somnambulates, statesmanlike, supersalesman, unassimilable, unassimilated, underclassman, upperclassman. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Crosswords 3. Usage: Modern 4. Usage: Commercial | 5. Images: Slideshow 6. Images: Photo Album 7. Quotations: Familiar 8. Quotations: Fiction | 9. Quotations: Non-fiction 10. Quotations: Spoken 11. Usage Frequency 12. Expressions | 13. Expressions: Internet 14. Translations: Modern 15. Translations: Ancient 16. Derivations | 17. Rhymes 18. Anagrams 19. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
