There
are many idioms used in the business World. If you don’t understand these
expressions, it’s easy to get lost in a conversation. Below is a table of
15 most common idioms used at work.
15 Most Common Business Idioms You Should Know
No.
|
Idioms
|
Explanation
|
1
|
Yes
man
|
A
person who always agrees with his boss.
E.g. 'Being a yes
man keeps me out of trouble, and it might even lead to a
promotion!"
|
2
|
Call it a day
|
To
quit work and go home; to say that a day's work has been completed.
E.g.
“I'm
tired. Let's call it a day.”
“The
boss was mad because Bill called it a day at noon.”
|
3
|
Hit
the nail on the head
|
To
identify something exactly; to arrive at exactly the right answer.
E.g. “He hit
the nail on the head when he said the problem was the thermostat”
|
4
|
Grey area (UK) /
Gray area (US)
|
Means
something that is not clearly defined and needs careful judgement.
E.g.
“It exists in a grey area between legal and illegal.”
"It's a
grey area isn't it?" (Meaning the speaker is talking about an
unsure concept).
|
5
|
Get
the ball rolling
|
To begin; to
start some action; to set in motion.
E.g. We really need
to get the ball rolling on this project. The deadline is in
October, and it's already September.
|
6
|
Back to the Drawing
Board
|
Means
that a previously established plan isn't working and that it is time to
re-plan.
E.g.
“My job interview went horribly! I
have to go back to the drawing
board.”
|
7
|
Thumbs Up
|
Shows
that someone or something is good, especially when it comes to a performance
or action with good results.
E.g. “That’s good. You deserve a big thumbs up for such a great
presentation!”
|
8
|
Big picture
|
Means the overall
perspective or objective, not the fine detail.
E.g. “Although we
all have all specific tasks to do, our leader makes sure we don't lose sight
of the big picture.”
|
9
|
On the ball
|
To be Alert, active,
or attentive; on top of things.
e.g. “If I had
been more on the ball I would have asked when he called me.”
|
10
|
On
the same page
|
In broad agreement,
or sharing a common general understanding or knowledge
E.g. “I want to make sure we're all on the same page with this new project.”
|
11
|
Ground-breaking
|
Means innovative, different than other things of its type.
E.g.
“This product is certainly a ground-breaking technology.”
|
12
|
Read between the
lines
|
To infer a meaning that is not stated explicitly
e.g. “If you read
between the lines a little,
you will realize that he has deeper motives”
|
13
|
Put
the cart before the horse
|
To
put things in the wrong order or
with the wrong priorities; to put
something inconsequential as
more important than something more essential.
E.g.
“There’s
no point trying to write the report when you haven’t got a clear idea of what
to write. You don’t want to put the cart before the horse.”
|
14
|
See
someone's point
|
Means
that you understand their reason for having a certain opinion, or
for feeling a certain way.
E.g.
“Yes, I see your point. Let me double-check that and get back with you.”
|
15
|
Get down to work
|
To get serious and
focus on what you need to do to accomplish a challenging goal
E.g. “You know what, Harry? You just need to
get down to work!”
|
