It could be to seal a big business deal, make a good impression, prove your knowledge and ability, or simply make things more interesting around the office, but speaking with idioms is a natural and joyous use of the English language, showing fluency and personality in equal measure. But before we set the ball rolling, what\u2019s an idiom?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An idiom is simply a set expression, whose individual words often do not relate to the true meaning. While raining cats and dogs may indicate a heavy rainstorm, we can assure you no pets were harmed in the creation and use of this popular idiom!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We are not speaking about technical language \u2013 or jargon if you will. Idioms are clear to all speakers in any context, and they are particularly likely to be found in an office environment, not to mention in interviews and press conferences, or cleverly harnessed in a particularly effective marketing campaign with a catchy slogan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, dive on into our list of some of the best-loved, and oft-quoted English idioms which cannot fail to hit the spot in the workplace, and beyond. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
1) Get\/Set the ball rolling<\/strong> Obviously originating from some form of 2) Take the bull by the horns<\/strong> Not a nod to a traditional Spanish sport, or indeed a risky encounter, taking the bull by the horns is to take control of a situation, often by being decisive. So, don\u2019t be a passive bystander, or watch meekly as your latest project struggles: take the bull by the horns and be the master of your own destiny. In use:<\/strong> \u201cNo one was taking responsibility for the poor performance of the new product until John took the bull by the horns, took charge, and was able to lead the team to success.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n 3) Ahead of the curve<\/strong> A business that is ahead of the curve \u2013 a trendsetter if you will \u2013 is in a good place. More modern, more advanced, more successful! Similarly, your boss will be most appreciative if you remain ahead of the curve \u2013 up-to-date and innovative in everything you do. And a happy boss is a great boss! In use:<\/strong> \u201cYou\u2019ve all done a great job this year, but with increasing competition, we really need to stay ahead of the curve if we want the business to remain successful.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n 4) On the back burner<\/strong> And often used analogy in business is the juggler \u2013 a person who has many balls up in the air at the same time. Multi-tasking is an essential part of most jobs these days, but setting priorities is essential. If something becomes a priority, similarly another thing loses importance\u2026for now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s when you put it on the back burner. This idiomatic favorite comes straight out of the kitchen \u2013 putting the less important elements to the back of the stove where the heat is reduced. You can almost see it as you do it! In use: <\/strong>\u201cThanks for all your work on the training programme but we have to put it on the back burner for now while we concentrate on our new product launch.\u201d 5) Back to the drawing board<\/strong> Sometimes things are not working out, and something needs to be rethought. That\u2019s when you take things back to the drawing board: literally where many of the world\u2019s greatest inventions began. But it doesn\u2019t have to be a physical thing, you can take any idea back to the drawing board, or go back to square one, to start again on the road to success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In use: <\/strong>\u201cUnfortunately the new marketing campaign hasn\u2019t been as successful as we would have hoped, so let\u2019s go back to the drawing board, and I\u2019d like some ideas on my desk by Monday.\u201d 6) Think outside the box<\/strong> Want to be the boss\u2019s favorite? Want to show that you are as innovative as the best of them? Then climb outside the box most thoughts are born into and start thinking! No, not literally! Thinking outside the box means to develop ideas that are outside the norm: innovative and fresh. If you want to get ahead in the workplace, thinking outside the box is a great place to start. In use:<\/strong> \u201cOur new product needs to be something really special, so I want you all thinking outside the box on this one to come up with something truly memorable.\u201d 7) On the same page<\/strong> This one\u2019s got nothing to do with books and everything to do with being synchronized in your actions and thinking. Any effective team must be on the same page \u2013 success is hard to come by if not. So, make sure you are on the same page as other thriving businesspeople with this old favorite. In use: <\/strong>\u201cI hope by explaining this to you we can now be on the same page as we go forward.\u201d 8) Up to speed<\/strong> No one wants to be left behind, and in a fast-moving environment, staying up-to-date is no easy task. Fortunately, you can be up to speed with your business idioms by using this oft-used In use:<\/strong> \u201cI want the report to bring me up to speed with all the most recent developments with the project.\u201d 9) Touch base<\/strong> We could produce a pretty detailed article with all the idioms that have found their way into modern parlance from the baseball field, and here\u2019s another. It\u2019s important to stay in contact and share information is any workplace, so touching base with colleagues is a must. So, don\u2019t say you\u2019ll speak on Wednesday, say you\u2019ll touch base instead. In use: <\/strong>\u201cLet\u2019s touch base on Wednesday and you can fill me in with developments.\u201d 10) Hit the nail on the head<\/strong> If you think hitting the nail on the head means identifying the correct thing, then you\u2019d be spot on, which incidentally, has the same meaning. Of course, there are no tools required for this hugely popular idiom, but it\u2019s a colorful phrase nonetheless. In use: <\/strong>\u201cWhen you said that we needed to invest more in staff training, you hit the nail on the head.\u201d 11) Too many irons in the fire\/bite off more than you can chew\/<\/strong> Many idioms don\u2019t make sense to a modern audience because the way we do things has changed \u2013 we have electricity to thank for a lot of that. So, having too many irons in the fire wouldn\u2019t be a problem these days. But biting off more than you can chew (and hence swallow) or juggling so many balls that you are undoubtedly going to drop one or more? These idioms may have the same meaning, but only two of them would have a modern understanding. Yet our language so often reflects bygone days, so feel comfortable in using any one of these crowd favorites \u2013 in this case having a lot of irons in the fire can be a good thing! In use:<\/strong> \u201cIt\u2019s clear what went wrong: you had too many irons in the fire. If you had concentrated on just one or two important clients, you wouldn\u2019t have lost all of them!\u201d 12) Not <\/strong> This pair of idioms, the first more frequently heard in the States, the second unsurprisingly favored by the British, is great because saying that you don\u2019t like something can be so negative. Of course, in business, and beyond, sometimes you indeed have to let your feelings known, but done like this, you can make a negative situation so much less abrasive. So, if it\u2019s not your cup of tea, or up your alley, let it be known In use:<\/strong> \u201cI appreciate all the hard work you have done but I guess this is just not 13) Cut to the chase<\/strong> Pleasantries are always important, no one likes it when someone only talks shop (business, business, business!) But there are moments when the time is ripe to say what you really need to. No more talk for talking\u2019s sake, let\u2019s cut to the chase \u2013 the action! Unsurprisingly this well-loved idiom (particularly by impatient bosses) originated in the movie business \u2013 the chase being the action required to maintain interest. Yet from Hollywood to the boardroom, this is a colorful idiom that will get the conversation where it needs to be. You can get down to brass tacks too if you prefer \u2013 that takes you to the same place! In use:<\/strong> \u201cI have understood all that you have said up till now, but let\u2019s cut to the chase. What do you really want?\u201d 14) Face the music<\/strong> Here\u2019s one we hope you never need. As nice as it may sound, facing the music is not recommended, as it means you are accepting the blame for something that you may or may not have done. It\u2019s the moment of truth when the boss reads you the riot act (a few more idioms for you right there), so it really is an idiom to use rather than experience if at all possible. In use:<\/strong> \u201cI have a meeting with the boss on Friday, I\u2019m pretty sure I\u2019ll be facing the music over that deal that I didn\u2019t close.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It could be to seal a big business deal, make a good impression, prove your knowledge and ability, or simply make things more interesting around the office, but speaking with idioms is a natural and joyous use of the English language, showing fluency and personality in equal measure. But before we set the ball rolling, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":490,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[465,464,466],"class_list":["post-486","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to","tag-english-idioms","tag-idioms","tag-professional-communication"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In use:<\/strong> \u201cSo I think we are all clear on what we need to do. Sally, if you can set the ball rolling by sending an email to get opinions on the subject.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nOther idioms to help you make your mark (make a good impression!)
<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n