Due to the popularity of our earlier blog post on classroom-based idioms, I have decided to compile some business-based idioms for you advanced business speakers. These are very common in American business and should be understood, and even better, used.
Across the board
Means all inclusive, everything, everybody
The company’s number were down across the board in every department.
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Ahead of the curve
Means to be better, more successful or advanced than other companies
With the bestselling product on the market, our company is ahead of the curve in sales.
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Back to square one
Means to start something over again
The students didn`t understand the differences between the two concepts so the teacher started over again, going back to square one.
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Bang for the buck
Means more value or a better pay off for the investment of money spent
Internet advertising is lower priced and more universal giving it more bang for the buck.
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Bring home the bacon
Means to earn money for the family
I work hard bringing home the bacon to support my family.
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Chicken feed
Means a small amount of money (similar to working for peanuts)
His son always wants to borrow money and says that it is only chicken feed but little by little it adds up to a lot of money.
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Corner the market
Means to have great or the greatest success in a specific market
Online courses are so convenient and growing so fast that, for English learning, they will soon corner the market.
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Crunching numbers
Means to do mathematical calculations
Excel is a great program for crunching numbers.
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Dot your i’s and cross your t’s
Means to be very careful paying attention to every detail
This contract is very important so be sure to dot your i’s and cross your t’s.
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Fill the bill
Means to provide just what is needed
His thorough knowledge and experience online will fill the bill to deliver our classes over the internet.
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Foot the bill
Means to cover the cost or payment for something or someone
The leading department in sales often has to foot the bill for the worst department to keep everyone working.
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From the ground up
Means to start something from “zero” and work up to the top
The website was totally redesigned from the ground up.
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Gravy train
Means a job requiring little work for good pay, benefits etc.
The CEO, although never at work, was making millions riding the gravy train.
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Have a stake in something
Means to have a partial ownership of a company or other business or to be somehow invested in something
With all my time, effort and money, I really have a stake in the business.
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In the black
Means to be making a profit.
We are having a great year so our accounts are in the black.
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In the red
Means to not be profitable or operating at a loss.
We owe so much money that our accounts are in the red.
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In the loop / out of the loop
Means to be in or out of the group of people that are informed and up-to-date
Even though I was on vacation, through the internet, my secretary kept me in the loop.
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Jacking up the prices
Means to increase the prices usually drastically
They took advantage of the product demand by jacking up the prices to increase their profits.
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Last straw
Means the last action which causes someone to reach their breaking point, becoming mad, frustrated, or giving up
I gave up because the government’s lack of approval for new business incentives was the last straw.
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Loophole
Means that there is a way of interpreting a law or a rule in order to get around doing the right thing
Politicians are known for finding loopholes to take advantage of the laws.
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On a shoestring
Means to be on a low budget with little money to invest
He built a major corporation up from nothing on a shoestring.
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Pass the buck
Means to put the burden or blame for something on someone else
Many coworkers won’t take responsibility for their mistakes and pass the buck to others.
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Penny-wise and pound foolish
Means to wrongly care about the small details while not worrying about the larger challenges
His department is penny-wise and pound foolish and economizes on small items but wastes their money on big items.
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Plug a product
Means to promote a product usually with a famous celebrity
The company is counting on the fame of the TV star to plug their product.
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Put one’s nose to the grindstone
Means to focus on working hard or purposefully
I put my nose to the grindstone and got this blog post done on time.
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Put someone through the wringer
Means to subject someone or something through intense questioning, testing or scrutiny
The new employee was put through the wringer before they decided to hire him.
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Safe bet
Means something that will most likely occur
It’s a safe bet that we will succeed by working smarter.
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Sell like hotcakes
Means to sell a product quickly and easily due to popularity
The low price of the sought after app helped it sell like hotcakes.
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Strike while the iron is hot
Means to take timely advantage of an opportunity
I will strike while the iron is hot and advertise more while people are talking about my product.
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Throw money at something
Means to spend, and usually waste, money on a solution to a problem
The company went bankrupt because they would always foolishly throw money at the problem without a plan for a solution.
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Under the table
Means to do something off the record and illegally
Some employers pay their employees under the table to avoid paying taxes.
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Work down to the wire
Means to go to the last minute to finish something
She waited until the last minute so she had to finish the work down to the wire.
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Worth his/her salt
Means to earn the monetary value of what one’s professional value is
The new employee, responsible for saving the business, was certainly worth his salt.
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Writing on the wall
Means the signs and indicators, mostly negative, which predict what will happen
Cutting back teacher salaries and letting go employees should be the writing on the wall that they will soon fail.
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So, let’s get down to business and start studying.
Rob Howard is the owner of Online Language Center. He is a teacher, tutor, trainer, material designer and author for English as a foreign language. He is also a consultant and has been a frequent speaker internationally regarding online retention as well as using technology in and out of the classroom. Originally from Boston, Massachusetts in the U.S., he is currently residing in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. You may e-mail him at rob@onlinelanguagecenter.com.
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