On A __ Scale

Idiom: On a __ scale; used as a prepositional phrase

First Example:

Daniel: Hey Deanna, I was in San Jose the other day and saw an ad for your company on TV.  I didn't expect to see anything outside of Los Angeles.

Deanna: Yeah, since we opened the San Francisco branch, we've expanded our advertising.  We're now advertising on a statewide scale.

Daniel: Wow.  Have you gotten any new clients out of it?

Deanna: Actually, yes.  I just signed a contract with a new client in Oakland, and I have a telephone meeting with a possible client from Northern California in half an hour. 

Daniel: Wow, that's great!  Congratulations.

Deanna: Thanks.

Daniel: And if you decide you want to break into the Las Vegas market, let me know.  I have some contacts there.

Deanna: I'll keep that in mind.

Meaning: The phrase “on a ____ scale” indicates a measurement of some kind.  The “____” is completed with an adjective that indicates size or range, such as with the example above: “on a statewide scale.”  This means that Deanna is advertising her company all over the state of California.  This idiom can be used with words suggesting large ranges ("statewide", "national", "massive", "grand") and small ranges ("local", "small", "limited").   Look at another example:

Deanna: What about your company?  Any plans to move out of Las Vegas?

Daniel: Right now, demand doesn't seem very high, so we're only advertising on a limited scale.  We're doing well locally, so we're playing it safe.

Deanna: Yeah, it can be risky to try to expand too quickly.  Glad to hear you're doing well though.

Daniel: Thanks.

In this case, Daniel is not advertising on a large scale, preferring to keep his business local, where he is already doing well.

This idiom is from LSI's new edition of "Reading Horizons," which will be used in the Level 6 Reading classes. For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com/