Useful Idioms for the World of Business: Part 2
English is one of the most-used languages in the business world, and if you don’t know what an idiom means you can quickly lose track of the conversation and lose out on opportunities. Here are some popular idioms and what they mean to help get your business ahead of the rest!
Click here for part 1 of our list of business idioms.
- to explain something in a nutshell – to explain something in a few words
- to get (back) into the swing of things – to get used to/to return to a routine or activity
- to get down to business – to stop stalling and begin matters more seriously
- to get the pink slip – to get fired
- to get/have a foot the door – to gain/have a way in or introduction to a company, organisation, or profession.
- to go back to square one/the drawing board – to acknowledge that an idea has been unsuccessful and that you will need to come up with a new one
- to go broke – to run out of money/to become bankrupt
- to go the extra mile – to put in extra effort
- to have the upper hand – to have advantage/control in a situation
- to have your hands tied – to have no control over a situation/to have no power to help
- to have your work cut out – to be faced with a long or difficult task
- to hit the nail on the head – to find exactly the right answer
- to keep your ear to the ground – to keep well informed on happenings and trends
- to keep your eye on the ball – to remain focussed on your target
- to learn the ropes – to learn how to do something/to learn how a place runs
- to lose ground – to lose an advantage/to fall behind
- to play hardball – to behave in a competitive and merciless way
- to put something at stake/to be at stake – to put something at risk/to be at risk
- to raise the bar – to set higher standards/expectations
- to read between the lines – to infer something that wasn’t directly communicated
- to rock the boat – to disrupt an existing situation with the intention of causing problems
- to sever ties – to unceremoniously end a relationship
- to shoot something down – to reject an idea
- to start/get off on the wrong foot – to start something in a negative way
- to think outside the box – to think of creative and unconventional solutions
- to throw in the towel – to quit
- to touch base – to briefly renew contact with someone to check that they are all right/show that you are all right
- to twist someone’s arm – to persuade someone to do something they don’t want to do
- under the table – done in secret (usually used in reference to illegal deals)
- up in the air – undecided
If you’ve found this post useful, why not check out our other articles on idioms?
08 Mar 2016
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