25 Essential Business Idioms for Fluent English

Let's learn some very common English expressions that native speakers use at the workplace. Almost all of my students are professionals, and they're quite fluent in English. Their grammar is excellent, and their overall English vocabulary is quite good. But one of their main concerns is they wish that they could use the expressions that native speakers use, and sometimes they don't understand native speakers because they're using various idiomatic expressions. The world of business is filled with idiomatic expressions. For example, a non-native speaker might say, Tell me approximately how much this will cost. But a native speaker would say, Give me a ballpark figure. So, do you have any idea like a ballpark figure of what someone could expect to pay? Or a non-native speaker might say, We need to get started on this project. But a native speaker is likely to say, We need to get the ball rolling. And that is because you want to get the ball rolling. And our goal is to at least get the ball rolling. And a non-native speaker might say, We can't start until the boss approves it. But a native speaker might say, We can't start until the boss gives us the green light. And a green light is another idiomatic expression. You will learn a lot of idioms in this course. And it might seem that there are too many to remember. So, this is what I suggest you do. I suggest that you pause after I teach you each idiom. And then make your own sentences. And say them out loud. Also, when you see the sentences on the screen, read them together with me. That's a very good memorization technique. And make sure you watch this video until the end. Because there will be a fill-in-the-blank quiz to test your knowledge. Okay, let's get started with the first idiom. This one is very common. And I think you might already know it. To think outside the box. And that means to think in an original way. In a creative way. In a way that's not limited by rules. Especially in business. To have new ideas instead of traditional ideas. We can also say, He's an out-of-the-box thinker. Do you consider yourself an out-of-the-box thinker? Let's look at some more example sentences. To solve this complex problem, you'll have to think outside the box. Instead of following the usual approach, we should think outside the box to find a solution. Her ability to think outside the box makes her a valuable asset to the company. Let's listen to how some other people use this expression. And sometimes when you don't have that many resources, it forces you to think outside the box. The easiest way to think outside the box is to not know where the box is. The next idiom is cutting edge. Cutting edge means the newest and the most advanced. Something innovative or leading in technology. We can say, Or we can say, We can also say, Let's listen to how some people use it this way. You've been on the cutting edge of new technology since before the dawn of Twitter and the new age of social media. Maybe the artist's career puts you on the cutting edge of new forms of pictorial expression. And they are on the cutting edge of their field. Another very common business expression is ballpark figure. A ballpark figure is an approximate estimate. We use this expression when we don't know the exact amount or we don't need the exact amount. For example, we can say, Or we can say, Can you give me a ballpark figure for the cost of renovating the office? Or we can say, Let's listen to how some native speakers used it. But I've had somewhere in the ballpark of 30 and 50 jobs. Then we're now talking about somewhere in the ballpark of about 400,000 people per year. Just give me a ballpark figure. The next idiom is to get the ball rolling. And that means to start a process or a project. To start doing something in order to get other people to do the same. For example, we can say, Or, I'm glad we finally got the ball rolling. What are we waiting for? Let's get the ball rolling. Let's get started. Let's get going. And here's another very common idiomatic expression, And that means the main point, the most important thing to consider, the final result or the most important aspect. We can say, The bottom line is, Let's not lose sight of the bottom line, which is to increase our market share. Or we can say, That means, let's get to the main point. The next idiom is, Has anyone ever told you, don't put all your eggs in one basket? That means don't rely on only one strategy or only one option because you risk losing everything. We can say, I'm applying for several jobs because I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket. Do you have a similar expression in your native language? Let me know in the comments. I think it's so interesting to learn the expressions that people use in different languages to express the same concept. Okay, let's go on to the next expression, And that means, If a group of people are on the same page, they are working well together and they have the same goals. We can say, Or we can say, Let's listen to how some other people used it. Let's go on to the next expression, And that means, For example, we can say, This project was successful because the team was willing to go the extra mile. The next expression is, When you're writing and you write the letter T, you need to cross it. You need to draw the little line, you cross the T. And when you write the letter I, you need to put a dot on top. So, to cross the T's and to dot the I's means to pay careful attention to every small detail when you're doing something, when you're finishing something. For example, we can say, We can say, The project manager emphasized the importance of crossing the T's and dotting the I's to avoid any misunderstandings. The next expression is a funny one. This one is also really common. What do you think that means? That means an obvious problem or issue that is being ignored. There's an obvious problem but nobody wants to talk about it. Let's look at this picture. Maybe they don't want to talk about it because it's an uncomfortable topic or they worry that people will get angry. They're avoiding the topic but it's an important topic. It's an important issue that they are avoiding. For example, we can say, The CEO's involvement in the scandal. Or we can say, Let's look at the next idiom. And that means to do something that is exactly right. To identify or to address something accurately. We can say, Or we can say, The doctor's diagnosis hit the nail on the head. Let's learn the next idiom. And that means to do everything necessary to be sure that something is successful. To make sure that every aspect is considered. We can say, To make sure it was covering all the bases. Or you can ask, Let's learn the meaning of the idiomatic expression to play it by ear. To play it by ear means to make decisions as you go along without a specific plan. To decide on your actions as you go depending on the situation. We can say, Since the situation is constantly changing, we'll have to play it by ear and adjust our strategy accordingly. I'm not sure what I'll say at the meeting. I'll just play it by ear. What do you want to do tomorrow? We don't have to decide now. Let's play it by ear. Let's look at the meaning of the idiomatic expression to play catch up. To play catch up means to try to catch up with competitors or with deadlines. To make an effort to keep up with the demands of a job. For example, we can say, After falling behind schedule, the team is now playing catch up to meet the deadline. Our company is playing catch up with competitors who have already adopted new technology. I'm always so busy. I always feel like I'm playing catch up. Let's listen to how some other people used it. And again, Microsoft is playing catch up to that. Is the United States finally playing catch up? Frankly, the competition is still playing catch up to our chips. I've actually been playing catch up for a number of years. Do you know the meaning of the idiom to put out fires? That means to deal with urgent problems or crises. To put out is a phrasal verb that means to extinguish. And to put out is a phrasal verb that I teach in my new course, Phrasal Verbs for Fluent English. It's in video number 18. Let's listen to the way Drake and I explain it in the course. Welcome to lesson number 18. This is part 3 of Phrasal Verbs with put. Let's learn 10 additional phrasal verbs with the verb to put. Now, let's learn the different meanings of to put out. Let's listen to Drake explain the first meaning. You can use put out as a way to say that you're extinguishing something, like a cigarette, a cigar, or a fire. If there's a big fire going on and you get the extinguisher and you put the white foam all over it, you're putting it out. You're getting rid of the fire. You know, you have a cigarette and you do this in the ashtray, you try to turn the cigarette off, you're putting out the cigarette. To put out means to extinguish or to stop the burning of something. For example, a fire, a flame, or a light. We can say, please put out the candles before you go to bed. The firefighters worked hard to put out the fire. He put out his cigarette. Let's look at the next meaning of to put out. The course contains 21 video lessons and each lesson contains many phrasal verbs plus downloadable PDFs of the definitions and of the sample sentences. And there are almost 1,000 sample sentences so that you can practice them in various contexts. And there are quizzes to test your progress plus pronunciation and accent lessons. And most importantly, the whole course is also on audio which is downloadable. You can listen at any time and any place. You can't be fluent in English unless you're using phrasal verbs. The phrasal verbs for fluent English course will definitely take your English to a much higher level of fluency. Go to AccurateEnglish.com Let's go back to the idiom To put out fires is a very common idiomatic expression commonly used at the workplace. We can say I can't get any work done. I spend most of my time putting out fires. The IT department was busy putting out fires when the server crashed. Do you have to put out fires at your job? Let's go on to the next idiomatic expression. This expression is commonly used in the business world and it means to get approval or permission to start something. For example, we can say The pharmaceutical company finally got the green light to sell their new drug. We can say Let's listen to the way some other people used it. Let's look at the idiomatic expression When a situation is not yet decided, it's up in the air. It's not certain that it will occur. It's not yet determined. It's very common to say Our vacation plans are still up in the air because we can't decide where to go. Many details are still up in the air. Are you going on the training course next week? I don't know. Everything is up in the air at this point. Let's listen to how some other people used it. We'll see. It's up in the air. We'll just see what this is and how it is and we'll go from there. Do you know the meaning of the idiomatic expression to go down the rabbit hole? It means to get lost in details or distractions. For example, while researching a topic online, I often find myself going down a rabbit hole of related articles and videos. During the meeting, we went down the rabbit hole of discussing minor issues instead of focusing on the main agenda. Be careful when you're searching the internet. It's easy to go down the rabbit hole and to lose track of time. Do you know the meaning of the idiomatic expression low-hanging fruit or to pick low-hanging fruit? Low-hanging fruit is something that is easy to get and to pick low-hanging fruit is to do the obvious or the easy things in order to achieve success or to make progress. So, it's work in which maximum success can be achieved with minimal effort, to pursue easy business opportunities, to get success in an easy way. We can say, to increase sales, let's focus on picking the low-hanging fruit by targeting existing customers. Before working on the more challenging aspects of the project, the team decided to pick the low-hanging fruit to make progress. Let's listen to how some other people used it. It's easier to make money with low-hanging fruit. That made it pretty easy to go after the low-hanging fruit. But now, a lot of that low-hanging fruit is gone. A lot of the infrastructure which China needs already has been built. Do you know the meaning of the idiomatic expression to get the axe? This is an axe. So, what do you think it means if we say, he got the axe? It means he got fired. He lost his job. In American English, axe can be spelled in two different ways. It can be A-X or A-X-E. We can use it this way. Several employees got the axe due to budget cuts. He was shocked when he got the axe. If you keep showing up late, you're going to get the axe. If I say to you, you dropped the ball, what does that mean? To drop the ball is an idiomatic expression that means to make a mistake or to miss an opportunity at a very important moment. Especially because you don't take action and you don't do something that you should have done. For example, we can say, he dropped the ball on the project by missing the deadline. We dropped the ball when we failed to follow up with the client and we lost the contract. When the earthquake hit, it was clear that the government agency had dropped the ball on disaster preparedness. Or you can say, you really dropped the ball on this one. We can't afford to drop the ball a second time. What does it mean if I say, I have a lot on my plate? It means, I have a lot of work to do or I have a lot of problems or I have too many responsibilities. I have a lot of important work to deal with. We can say, as a small business owner, he constantly has a lot on his plate. From managing employees to dealing with customers. She has children, a full-time job and she's studying for a test. She has a lot on her plate. I'm sorry I didn't return your call. I've had a lot on my plate recently. Let's look at the next idiom. Do you know the meaning of the idiomatic expression, to cut corners? That means, to do something the cheapest way or the easiest way. To take shortcuts or to compromise the quality in order to save time or money. We can say, the quality isn't as good as it used to be. They're cutting corners to try to save money. Cutting corners on your workout routine won't help you achieve your fitness goals. They were criticized for cutting corners when building the house. They cut corners and it shows. Don't hurry, you can't cut corners if you want to do a perfect job. Take your time and do it well. Don't cut corners. The next idiom is the big picture or to get the big picture. And that means to understand the overall situation. To see the entire perspective. We can say, he understood the details but he missed the big picture. Or we can say, stand back and take a look at the big picture. The next idiom is going forward and that means in the future, looking ahead, from this point onward. And this is often used to indicate a change of approach or a new plan or to emphasize a commitment to change. For example, we can say, going forward, let's make an effort to improve our communication. We need to figure out what we're going to do going forward. We expect sales to increase going forward due to our new marketing strategy. Let's listen to how some other people used it. And how much they could continue to teach us going forward. So what are the key elements that we didn't have that we should have going forward? And let's look at the final idiomatic expression. To pull the trigger. This is a gun and this is a trigger. And what happens when you pull the trigger? You make a decision or you take action. To make a final decision or to commit to a certain course of action. For example, we can say, you've been wasting your time trying to make a decision. I wish you would just pull the trigger. She had been considering a career change for a while and finally pulled the trigger by quitting her current job. It's time to pull the trigger on launching the new product. The market is ready for it. You've been talking about this for years. What are you waiting for? It's time to pull the trigger. You learned a lot of idiomatic expressions that you can use at the workplace. And now it's time to take the fill in the blank quiz to see how many of these you remember. Let's look at the first question. Which idiom means to think in an original way? In a creative way. What do we say? To think outside the what? Box. To think outside the box. Instead of saying, let's not make advanced plans. Let's decide as we go or while it's happening. What can we say? Let's play it two words. Let's play it by ear. Let's play it by ear. Let's look at the next question. Instead of saying, tell me approximately how much this will cost. We can say, give me a blank figure. What's the correct answer? Ballpark. Give me a ballpark figure. Which idiomatic expression means an important topic that everyone is avoiding? An obvious reality that no one wants to talk about. That's called a blank in the room. What's the correct answer? Elephant. The elephant in the room. Don't ignore the elephant in the room. We need to talk about it. Let's look at the next question. Instead of saying, you said the correct thing. You got it right. You were accurate. We can say, you hit the blank on the blank. What's the correct answer? You hit the nail on the head. You hit the nail on the head. If we want to say, we got permission or we got approval to do something, we can use the idiomatic expression, we got the blank blank. What is it? We got the green light. We got the green light. The boss gave us the green light. He said yes. He said, go ahead and do it. Which idiomatic expression means the situation is not certain. It's not yet decided. We can say, it's up in the what? Air. It's up in the air. We don't know what's going to happen. Things are up in the air. It's still up in the air. If we want to say, he got fired. He lost his job. Which idiomatic expression can we use? He got the what? Axe. He got the axe. Did you hear that he got the axe? If you keep coming to work late, you're going to get the axe. How did you do on the quiz? If you made two or more mistakes, I suggest you watch the video again and then pause the video and make your own sentences. Try to use them in many different contexts and if you keep practicing them, you will be able to use them naturally and spontaneously when you're speaking English and you will sound like a native speaker. Thanks for watching and keep practicing. This is the perfect time to work on your English fluency and save $200 when you get the super bundle of all three of my courses. The American Accent Course, 400 Advanced Words You Must Know for Fluent English, and Phrasal Verbs for Fluent English. Go to AccurateEnglish.com