The Most Common Business Idioms IDIOM MEANING EXAMPLE - Lea-english

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The Most Common Business IdiomsIDIOMMEANINGEXAMPLE24/7"24/7" means 24 hours a day, sevenThe convenience store on the cornerdays a week.is open 24/7.When something unfortunateIt was a tough break for us whenhappens, it can be called a "toughCaroline quit. She was one of our topbreak."performers.ahead of theTo be "ahead of the curve" means toWe're investing a lot of money incurvebe more advanced than theresearch and development so we cancompetition.stay ahead of the curve.ahead of theTo be "ahead of the pack" means toIf we want to stay ahead of the pack,packbe better or more successful than thewe're going to have to work hard andcompetition.continue to innovate."ASAP" is an acronym for "as soon asI need to finish these reports. Mypossible."boss needs them ASAP."At stake" means at risk.I'm a little nervous about giving thisa tough breakASAPat stakepresentation. There's a lot at stake.back to squareTo go "back to square one" means toOur programmers identified whatonestart something over again.they thought the problem was with

IDIOMMEANINGEXAMPLEthe software. After working forseveral hours, it turns out that theproblem is something different.We're back to square one,unfortunately.back to theTo go "back to the drawing board"The prototype wasn't successful. Wedrawing boardmeans to start something over andhave to go back to the drawinggo back to the planning stage.board.A "backroom deal" is an agreementI think they got the governmentor decision that is made without thecontract because of a backroom deal.backroom dealpublic knowing about it.ballparkA "ballpark number" is a very inexactI'm not sure what a Super Bowlnumber/figureestimate.commercial costs, but to give you aballpark figure I'd say about threemillion dollars.behindTo do something "behind someone'sShe didn't think it would be fair to gosomeone's backback" means to do somethingbehind his back and talk towithout someone's knowledge and inmanagement, so she confronted himan unfair way.directly.

IDIOMMEANINGEXAMPLEbehind theWhat happens in secret or not inThey make it look so effortless, butscenesfront of the general public is said tothey do a lot of hard work andhappen "behind the scenes."planning behind the scenes.Everything that is involved with aEven though we all have very specificparticular situation is called "the bigtasks to do, our manager makes surepicture."we don't lose sight of the big picture.A "blue collar worker" is someoneIt's a blue collar town with a lot ofwho works with his handsfarmers and factory workers.big pictureblue collar(manufacturing, construction,maintenance, etc.). The opposite is a"white collar worker." A white collarworker is someone who works in anoffice (customer service,management, sales, etc.). "Bluecollar" (and "white collar") can alsobe used to describe a job, position, ora place.by the bookTo do things "by the book" means toWe are regularly audited by severaldo things according to companyregulatory agencies. It's importantpolicy or the law. It means to followthat we do everything by the book.

IDIOMMEANINGEXAMPLEthe rules 100%.call it a dayTo "call it a day" means to decide toWell, John, it's 7:00 and I'm gettingstop working for the day.hungry. How about we call it a day?catch someoneTo "catch someone off guard" meansMike was caught off guard when theyoff guardto surprise someone by doingasked him to direct the meeting.something that he or she was notexpecting.cave (or cave in)To "cave" or "cave in" means to giveThe employees complained about thein or agree to something thatchange in policy, but the supervisorsomeone previously did not want torefused to cave in.accept.change of pace"A change of pace" is somethingIt's nice to go on business tripsdifferent from a normal routine orbecause it's a change of pace.schedule.come up shortTo "come up short" means to try toThe charity fund raiser was supposedachieve something but fail. We oftento raise three million dollars, but wesay that someone has "come upcame up short.short" when someone fails to achievea goal, but not completely.

IDIOMMEANINGEXAMPLEcorner a marketTo "corner a market" means toApple has cornered the market ondominate a particular market.mp3 players. They have a largepercentage of market share.cut cornersTo "cut corners" means to takeWe don't cut corners on our luxuryshortcuts and find an easier orproducts.cheaper way to do something.cut one's lossescut-throatTo "cut one's losses" means to stopOur advertising campaign wasdoing something that is unproductiveexpensive and not showing results, soand won't ever generate results.we cut our losses."Cut-throat" is used to describeIn business school, the competitionsomething that is very intense,was cut-throat.aggressive, and merciless.diamond in theA "diamond in the rough" isHe was a diamond in the rough. Heroughsomething or someone that has a lotwas intelligent and had great ideas,of potential but first requires a lot ofbut his management and English skillswork.weren't very good.easy come, easy"Easy come, easy go," is anA lot of people who inherit moneygoexpression used to communicate thatwaste it on stupid things. I guess it'ssomething gained easily is also losteasy come, easy go.

IDIOMMEANINGEXAMPLEeasily. We often use this expressionafter something has been lost.fifty-fifty"Fifty-fifty" means something isMy business partner and I splitdivided equally -- 50% for one party,everything fifty-fifty.50% for the other party.from the groundIf you start a business, project, orBill Gates built Microsoft from theupsomething else from zero, you start itground up."from the ground up."game planA "game plan" is a strategy or plan.They're not sure what their gameplan is for the upcoming election.get back in/intoTo "get back in/into the swing ofOur company shuts down operationsthe swing ofthings" means to get used to doingfor three weeks during the holidaythingssomething again after having a breakseason. When I go back to work infrom that activity.January, it's difficult to get back in theswing of things.get down toTo "get down to business" means toNow that everyone's here, let's getbusinessstop making small talk and startdown to business and talk about thetalking about serious topics related toproposal.business.

IDIOMMEANINGEXAMPLEget something offTo "get something off the ground"We're glad the planning process isthe groundmeans to start a project or business.over. We're looking forward togetting the project off the ground.get the ballTo "get the ball rolling" means toWe need to get the ball rolling on thisrollingstart something (a project, forproject. The deadline is in June, andexample).it's already April.get/be on theIf someone likes you, you are "on theI always remember my coworkers'good side ofgood side" of that person.birthdays and get them a card orsomeonesmall gift. I like to get on people'sgood side.get/have one'sTo "get or have one's foot in theMy son just took a low-payingfoot in the doordoor" means to take a low-levelinternship position with a largeposition with a company with thecompany. He was happy to get hisgoal of eventually getting a betterfoot in the door at a well-known,position with the same company.respected company.give someone aTo "give someone a pat on the back"The boss gave Brian a pat on the backpat on the backmeans to tell someone that they did afor coming up with such a good idea.good job.give the thumbsTo "give something or someone theI can't believe she gave us the thumbs

IDIOMMEANINGEXAMPLEdownthumbs down" means to denydown. I thought it was a great idea.approval.give the thumbsTo "give something or someone theThey gave our new proposal theupthumbs up" means to give approval.thumbs up. We're going out tocelebrate tonight.go brokeTo "go broke" means to go bankruptThere was too much competition andor to lose all the money a person ortheir expenses were too high. Theybusiness had.eventually went broke.go down theWhen someone wastes or losesHe dropped out of college in his thirddrainsomething, it is said to "go down theyear and never continued his studies.drain."All of his hard work and money wentdown the drain.go the extra mileTo "go the extra mile" means to doWe go the extra mile for ourmore than what people expect.customers. If someone is dissatisfiedwith a purchase, we refund theirmoney and offer them a discount ontheir next purchase.go through theIf something is "going through theWe're happy our number ofroofroof," it means it is rapidly increasing.Facebook followers has gone through

IDIOMMEANINGEXAMPLEthe roof.gray areaground-breakingIf something is in a "gray area," itI asked our lawyers if it was legal, andmeans that it is something undefinedthey said it wasn't clear. It's a grayand not easily categorized.area.If something is "ground-breaking," itThe iPhone was a ground-breakingmeans it is new and innovative.piece of technology when it wasreleased in 2008.hands are tiedSomeone's "hands are tied" if they doI would love to get you a job at mynot have control over a situation.company, but my hands are tied.Management isn't hiring anyadditional employees this year.have someone'sIf you have a lot of work to do or aShe has to sell 35,000 worth ofwork cut outparticularly difficult assignment, youproducts by the end of the month."have your work cut out for you."She has her work cut out for her.hit the nail on theTo "hit the nail on the head" meansI agree with John 100%. I think heheadto do or say something 100%really hit the nail on the head.correctly.in a nutshell"In a nutshell" means in a few words.In a nutshell, this book is about howto motivate employees.

IDIOMMEANINGEXAMPLEin full swingIf a project is "in full swing," it meansConstruction on the new site is in fullthat it has been completely startedswing now.and that it is progressing or movingas fast as it ever will.in the blackIf a company is "in the black," itWe're not having a great year, but atmeans that it is making a profit.least we're in the black.in the driver'sTo be "in the driver's seat" means toI'm not used to being in the driver'sseatbe in control.seat. I should probably buy somemanagement books.in the redIf a company is "in the red," it meansWhen I started my own business, wethat is not profitable and is operatingwere in the red for the first twoat a loss.years. We didn't see a profit until thethird year.keep one's eyeTo "keep one's eye on the ball"I know we can do it. We just need toon the ballmeans to give something one's fullkeep our eyes on the ball and notattention and to not lose focus.lose focus.The "last straw" means the lastOur boss had been unhappy withannoyance, disturbance, or betrayalBrian's performance for a while, but itwhich causes someone to give up,was the last straw when he came tolast straw

IDIOMlearn the ropeslong shotMEANINGEXAMPLElose their patience, or become angry.work three hours late without calling.To "learn the ropes" means to learnI like my new position. I'm starting tothe basics of something.learn the ropes.A "long shot" is something that has aWinning the lottery is a long shot, butvery low probability of happening.millions of people still buy lotterytickets.loopholeA legal "loophole" occurs if a law isSome people complain thatunclear or omits information. Thismillionaires avoid paying taxes bylack of legal clarity allows people orfinding loopholes in tax laws.corporations to pay less in taxes orgain some other advantage.lose groundTo "lose ground" means to lose someApple lost some ground to Samsung(opposite: gaintype of an advantage (market share,last quarter.ground)for example) to a competitor.lose-loseA "lose-lose situation" is when thereIt's a lose-lose situation. If they lay offsituation (or no-will be a negative outcome regardlessmore workers, they'll get bad press. Ifwin situation)of what decision is made.they don't lay off more workers, theywon't be able to compete.nine-to-fiveA "nine-to-five" is a job during normalShe was tired of working a nine-to-

IDIOMMEANINGEXAMPLEworking hours. The term came intofive job, so she took her savings andexistence because many work daysopened a restaurant.start at 9 a.m. and end at 5 p.m.no brainerIf a decision is really obvious or reallyTaking the new job was a no brainer.easy to make, the decision is a "noThey offered me more money, abrainer."better schedule, and more vacationdays.no stringsIf something is given withoutThey will let you try the product forattachedexpecting anything in return, it isfree with no strings attached. If yougiven with "no strings attached."don't like it, there is no pressure tobuy it.no time to loseIf there is "no time to lose," it meansI told them I'd be finished by the endthat there is a lot of pressure to finishof the day and it's already 4:45. Isomething quickly.need to get to work. There's no timeto lose.not going to flyIf a solution isn't effective, we can sayI don't think that's going to fly. Let'sthat it "isn't going to fly."keep generating ideas.off the top ofIf someone says something "off theI have no idea how many branchesone's headtop of their head," it means that theythey have. Off the top of my head, I'd

IDIOMMEANINGEXAMPLEgive a response without thinkingsay about 20.about it much or doing any researchon the subject.on a rollIf someone is "on a roll," it meansOur profits have been above ourthat he or she has had severalprojected numbers for five months insuccesses in a row.a row. We're really on a roll.To be "on the ball" means to be alertMy new personal assistant is workingand aware of things.out well. He's really on the ball.on the same pageIf two people are "on the sameLet's go over the details of what wepagepage," they are in agreement aboutagreed on to make sure we're on thesomething.same page.on top ofTo be "on top of something" meansI read a lot to stay on top of the latestsomethingto be in control of a situation andchanges in my industry.on the ballaware of changes.on your toesout in the openTo be "on your toes" means to beStay on your toes. Anything canalert.happen.If something is "out in the open," it isI think it's good to do things out inpublic knowledge and not hiddenthe open because people getfrom people.suspicious if you do things in secret.

IDIOMMEANINGEXAMPLEout of the loopTo be "out of the loop" means to notI felt like I was out of the loop after(opposite: in theknow something that a select groupbeing on vacation for two weeks.loop)of people knows. The opposite, to be"in the loop," means to be part of aselect group with knowledge thatothers do not have.pink slipplay hardballSomeone who gets the "pink slip,"They gave him the pink slip. Hehas been fired by their employer.wasn't performing very well.To "play hardball" means to beHe played hardball to get where he is,competitive in a cruel and mercilessso I would be careful what you sayway. Playing hardball means doingand do around him.anything possible to win.put all one's eggsTo "put all one's eggs in one basket,"It's not good to only invest in thein one basketmeans to rely on only one thing tostock market. You don't want to putbring success.all your eggs in one basket.put the cartTo "put the cart before the horse"They were trying to find investorsbefore the horsemeans to do or think about things inwithout even having a business plan.the wrong order.They were putting the cart before thehorse.

IDIOMMEANINGEXAMPLEraise the barTo "raise the bar" means to set theThe new software is getting greatstandards or expectations higher,reviews. It looks like the bar has beenusually by achieving or creatingraised for the competition.something better than what hadpreviously existed.read betweenTo "read between the lines" means toHe didn't say that he wants to leavethe linesunderstand something that isn'tthe company, but I can read betweencommunicated directly. Readingthe lines. He's not happy here.between the lines involvesunderstanding what someone isimplying or suggesting but not sayingdirectly.red tape"Red tape" refers to excessive rules,The new law is going to create a lot ofprocedures, and regulations thatred tape, and we're going to have tomake it difficult to accomplishpay our lawyers a lot more money.something. We usually use "red tape"to talk about governmentrequirements that create difficult,time-consuming barriers for peopleand businesses.

IDIOMMEANINGEXAMPLErock the boatTo "rock the boat" means to causeI'd ask for a raise, but I don't want toproblems or disrupt a peacefulrock the boat.situation.round-the-clock"Round the clock" means 24 hours aWe have round-the-clock productionday.at all our manufacturing facilities.run/go around inTo "run (or go) around in circles"Everyone kept restating theircirclesmeans to do the same thing over andopinions but nothing was agreed on.over again without getting anyWe were running around in circles.results.safe betsame boatsecond natureA "safe bet" means something thatIt's a safe bet that smartphones willwill probably happen.be much more advanced in 10 years.If people are in the same situation,We're all worried about losing ourthey are in the "same boat."jobs. We're in the same boat.When someone does something soShe's been a computer programmerwell that it seems like they were bornfor ten years. At this point,knowing how to do it, we say that theprogramming is second nature to her.activity is "second nature" to thatperson.see eye to eyeTo "see eye to eye" with someoneWe don't always see eye to eye, but I

IDIOMMEANINGEXAMPLEmeans to agree with that person.respect her opinions and appreciateher honesty.see somethingTo "see something through" meansI told my boss that I really wanted tothroughto do something until it is finished.see this project through before takingon another project.sever tiesTo "sever ties" means to end aWe had to sever ties with several ofrelationship.our suppliers due to late shipments.shoot somethingTo "shoot something down" means toIt's best not to shoot down people'sdownreject something, such as a proposalideas during a brainstorming session.or idea.The goal is to generate ideas, not tocriticize them.sky's the limitsmall talk"The sky's the limit" if there is noWith their commission structure, thelimit to what can be achieved.sky's the limit to what you can earn."Small talk" is conversation aboutWe typically spend about 15 minutesunimportant topics that do notmaking small talk before we start ouroffend people (the weather, formeetings.example).smooth/clear"Smooth sailing" is a term used toOnce our largest competitor went outsailingdescribe a situation where success isof business, it was smooth sailing.

IDIOMMEANINGEXAMPLEachieved without difficulties.snail mail"Snail mail" is the term used for theIf you want to fill out form 52-E andtraditional mail that goes through thesend it to the government, you havepost office.to do it using snail mail. They don'tallow you to scan the document.stand one'sTo "stand one's ground" means toWe tried to change the dress code,groundnot change one's opinion or position.but Human Resources stood theirground.start off on theTo "start off on the right foot" meansWe offered them a very generousright footto start something in a positive way.price on their first order andeverything shipped on time. Wereally started off on the right foot.start off on theTo "start off on the wrong foot"I just switched cable companies. Theywrong footmeans to start something in aovercharged me for the first month'snegative way.service. They really started off on thewrong foot.state of the artSomething that is "state of the art" isWe have a brand new, state-of-the-modern and technologicallyart facility.advanced.

IDIOMMEANINGEXAMPLEtake somethingTo "take something lying down"The proposed law would kill ourlying downmeans to accept somethingindustry, but we're not going to takeunpleasant without fighting back.it lying down. We're going to fightback and make sure the law isn'tpassed.take the bull byTo "take the bull by the horns" meansOne of our mid-level managersthe hornsto directly confront a difficultwasn't very popular and was causingsituation.some problems, so we took the bullby the horns and replaced him withsomebody else.talk someoneTo "talk someone into something"I was hesitant to redesign ourinto somethingmeans to convince someone to dowebsite, but my employees talkedsomething.me into it. I'm glad they did. The newsite looks great.talk someone outTo "talk someone out of something"I wanted to make a real estateof somethingmeans to convince someone not toinvestment, but my financial adviserdo something.talked me out of it.the elephant in"The elephant in the room" refers toWe should have been talking aboutthe rooman obvious problem or controversialour huge debt, but no one wanted toissue that no one wants to talk about.talk about the elephant in the room.

IDIOMMEANINGEXAMPLEthink bigTo "think big" means to haveI'm not content with just opening oneambitious goals and big plans for theor two more stores. I'm thinking big --future.I think we can open 10 stores in thenext five years.think outside theTo "think outside the box" means toCreating a product that no one hasboxthink of creative, unconventionalsold before is an example of thinkingsolutions instead of common ones.outside the box.throw in theTo "throw in the towel" means toI was trying to learn Portuguese, but Itowelquit.got frustrated and threw in the towel.time's up"Time's up" means that the time forI think his time's up as the CEO.something or someone has ended.They're going to replace him as soonas they find a suitable candidate.touch baseTo "touch base" means to makeLet me make a few phone calls to trycontact with someone.to get an answer to your question. I'lltouch base with you later today.twist someone'sTo "twist someone's arm" means toThe owner thought the budget was aarmpersuade or convince someone to dolittle high. We had to twist his arm tosomething that he or she does notget him to agree to it.want to do.

IDIOMMEANINGEXAMPLEunder the tableSomething done secretly (and usuallyTo avoid paying taxes, they paid someillegally) in the business world is doneof their employees under the table."under the table."up in the airIf something is undecided, it is "up inWe're looking for a test market rightthe air."now, but nothing has been decidedyet. Everything's still up in the air.uphill battleupper handwhite collarSomething that is difficult to achieveWinning the election is going to be anbecause of obstacles and difficultiesuphill battle. He doesn't have muchis an "uphill battle."support at the moment.If someone has an advantage overJohn is more experienced and wellsomeone else, he or she has therespected, so he had the upper hand"upper hand."in the argument.A "white collar worker" is someoneThere are mostly manufacturingwho works in an office (customerpositions here. There aren't manyservice, management, sales, etc.).white-collar jobs.The opposite of a white collar workeris a "blue collar worker." A blue collarworker is someone who works withhis hands (manufacturing,construction, maintenance, etc.).

IDIOMMEANINGEXAMPLE"White collar" (and "blue collar") canalso be used to describe a job,position, or place.win-win situationword of mouthA "win-win situation" is a situationWe were happy to get the contract,where everyone involved gainsand they were happy to get such asomething.good price. It was a win-win situation.If something spreads by "word ofMany local restaurants rely on wordmouth," people hear about it throughof mouth to get new customers.informal conversation with friends,family members, acquaintances, etc.writing on theThe "writing on the wall" refers to theI'm going to get my resume ready. Iwallevidence and clues that somethingcan see the writing on the wall.(usually negative) is going to happen.yes manA "yes man" is someone who alwaysThe company isn't looking to hireagrees with his or her superiors.someone who is going to try to makea lot of changes. They're just lookingfor a yes man.

IDIOM MEANING EXAMPLE easily. We often use this expression after something has been lost. fifty-fifty "Fifty-fifty" means something is divided equally -- 50% for one party,

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