1. Chris Linn’s Idiom Guide
More than 240 of the most commonly used American English idioms in business today*
idiom meaning example
a clean slate She wants to start her new job with a clean slate.
to start new or afresh
a a
a piece of cake Speaking Chinese is a piece of cake for her.
a very easy or simple task
a breeze Preparing the daily financial report is a breeze.
a very easy or simple task
a slight hiccup We had a slight hiccup in the rollout of the new software program.
a small problem or delay
a stretch His explanation was a stretch, but some people believe him.
to exaggerate
ahead of the curve I think she is ahead of the curve and will do well compared to the others.
to be better prepared than others
all in all All in all, I had a good time last night at the party.
in general or overall
already on the water The shipment is already on the water, so the order could not be canceled.
to already be on the way (in transit)
ants in his pants I think he’s got ants in his pants to go home early for the dinner party.
to be impatient
artsy-fartsy My sister is very artsy fartsy.
someone who is very creative
back out I’m sorry to back out of the meeting today, but I had another appointment.
to reverse an action or decline
b b
back pedal After he said her dress looked ugly, he tried to back pedal by apologizing.
to right a wrongful comment or action
bark up the wrong tree The driver was barking up the wrong tree, by arguing with the police.
to challenge the wrong person
be there or be square Everyone will be at the party tonight, so be there or be square.
to pressure someone to attend
beat a dead horse Let’s not beat a dead horse by still worrying about it.
to already be a past incident
beef up We need to beef up our workforce before we expand our marketing efforts.
to strengthen
bent over backwards He bent over backwards to help his colleagues every day this week.
to exceed expectations (by a lot)
benefit of the doubt Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt since he started the job last week.
to think positively of someone
between a rock & hard place Because of his lie, he was caught between a rock and a hard place.
a no win situation
big deal Let’s not make a big deal of it since it’s already a past issue.
significant subject or issue
bigger fish to fry He shouldn’t worry about the little details, since there are bigger fish to fry.
to prioritize the important things
bird dog You need to bird dog this issue until it is resolved.
to pursue and investigate thoroughly
bite off...than (you) can chew Be careful not to bite off more than you can chew with this project.
to over-commit; take on too much
black and white The vacation policy is very black and white.
to be extremely clear
blow off I’m sorry to blow off dinner tonight, and I will try to join next time.
to ignore or disregard
blown out of proportion The issue got blown out of proportion, since nobody really cared.
to exaggerate
bog down The extra luggage will bog down our traveling time.
to slow down or burden
bread and butter This model is our bread and butter product for the company.
to be the main source of revenue
bright spot Drinking coffee was the first bright spot in my day.
a positive occurrence or event
bump on a log Don’t be a bump on a log during the next meeting, we need your input!
to be passive; to not participate
call it out If you discover a product problem, then call it out in the next meeting.
to bring to attention
c c
call off Can you call off the meeting?
to cancel
came along for the ride He just came along for the ride and sat quietly at the meeting.
to join, but not participate
can’t make hide nor hair This report is really confusing and I can’t make hide nor hair of it.
to not understand
carry the torch Since my boss is out of the office, she will carry the torch for the team.
to carry on the responsibility
catch heat He’ll probably catch heat from headquarters for not meeting the goals.
to be blamed
cat got (your) tongue Why don’t you say something? Does the cat got your tongue?
to be silent
chit chat He likes to chit chat in the break room.
non-important talk or gossip
come off it She needs to come off it and stop complaining about her job every day.
stop complaining or whining
come out of one’s shell I need everyone to come out of their shell during the next meeting.
to actively participate (don’t be shy)
cop out Some runners cop out before race day, because they are nervous.
change your mind at the last minute
cry over spilt milk She shouldn’t cry over spilt milk, since she will have more opportunities.
an unrecoverable incident/situation
cut loose Let’s cut loose after work and go out for a drink.
to relax and enjoy
cut (her) loose It’s time to cut her loose and give her more responsibility.
to extend responsibility
cut (him) loose Unfortunately, we had to cut him loose last week.
to layoff/terminate
cut (her) losses She wanted to gamble all day, but cut her losses after one hour at the casino.
to accept failure and move on quickly
dial back I need to dial back my golf dates so I can spend more time with my family.
to reduce or scale back
d d
did (you) get it I’m still confused, did you get it?
to understand
difficult pill to swallow The presentation was a difficult pill to swallow, since he wasn’t prepared.
hard to believe or accept
ding dong Whenever she is with her friends, she acts like a ding dong.
to act dumb or silly
dog and pony show The sales manager did the typical dog and pony show for the new client.
a standardized presentation
dose of decisiveness We need a dose of decisiveness from someone in management.
leader with initiative
dot your ‘i’s & cross your ‘t’s Did you dot your “I’s” & cross your “T’s” before presenting the contract?
to be very complete and detailed.
down the road Fluctuating oil costs eventually impact consumers down the road.
in the future
drives (me) crazy It drives me crazy when drivers talk on their cell phone while driving.
to become frustrated
*Chris Linn, author of the guide, is a materials design and sourcing professional, based in Portland, Oregon and has worked in international business for over 20 years-
with 4 of those years as an editor for an English language publishing company. Chris grew up in the U.S. and spent 7 years of his career working in Asia for a leading
multi-national brand. During this time, Chris volunteered time to help his national staff improve their English understanding and teaching them the nuances of American
idioms. What makes this guide unique is the idioms in this guide are taken from actual business emails (or conversations) between the national staff and their native English
speaking colleagues--making this a practical tool for anyone wanting to improve their business English understanding. You can contact Chris at clinn64@gmail.com

2. idiom meaning example
drop the ball It’s critical we complete the project in time, so don’t drop the ball this week.
to fail in your responsibilities
dropped off Do you know why the appointment dropped off from my calendar today?
to cancel or remove
ducks in a row I need to get my ducks in a row before I leave for Europe.
to be well prepared
duke it out The two drivers wanted to duke it out because of the accident.
to fight
ends up What did you end up deciding in the meeting?
the final outcome
e e
even keel She can always be relied on because of her even keel attitude.
steadfast and calm behavior
fall for Don’t fall for that explanation, he’s trying to manipulate you.
to be gullible
f f
fall-back plan We need a fall back plan so we don’t interrupt business operations.
a second option or backup plan
far fetched He says he can earn $1 million next year, but I think his idea is far fetched.
unbelievable
fend for yourself You need to fend for yourself since I will be out of the office next week.
to rely on oneself
fine tooth comb Please review this contract again with a fine tooth comb before submitting.
to be extremely detailed
flip flop His work schedule is flip flop from mine.
to be opposite
full fledged I want to hire a full fledged person for this finance position.
to be completely qualified/certified
fun loving Everybody likes her because she has a fun loving personality.
to be enjoyable
get after We need to get after this problem since it occurs every week.
to pursue aggressively
g g
get cracking You need to get cracking on this report, since it is due today!
to start or begin immediately
get going We need to get going or we’re going to be late!
to begin moving quickly
get moving You need to get moving on this project. It’s due this Friday!
to begin taking action
get my (your) act together I need to get my act together since I’m falling behind in work.
to be organized
get off my (your) soap box to stop lecturing or reminding people I will get off my soapbox now, but I wanted to share my opinion!
get through If he can get through this crisis, then he will be a stronger person.
to overcome
get underway What time will the meeting get underway?
to begin or start
gift of gab She has the gift of gab and meets people easily at parties.
to talk easily with anyone
go girl [boy] You go girl! You can do it!
just do it; encouragement
go over Please go over this consolidation report with her, before you take action.
to review or clarify
goes along with He usually goes along with what his boss says.
to follow along; meek compliance
going against the grain His disruptive behavior goes against the grain of the rest of the class.
to oppose the majority
gray area There is a lot of gray area in the policy since many people are still confused.
unclear, ambiguous
greener...other side of the hill He left the company thinking it is greener on the other side of the hill.
to seek out better opportunities
grow on (me) I didn’t like the color of the dress at first but it’s beginning to grow on me.
become accustomed to
half baked A half baked idea will lead to problems later on.
a plan that is not well thought out
h h
handle it I’m not worried, since she has a lot of experience and can handle it.
to be capable
hard to stomach Hearing about the accident was hard to stomach, since he is a close friend.
difficult to accept
hash out We need to hash out these problems before the next review meeting.
to discuss until a decision is made
hashing over They were hashing over the report this morning, but should be done by now.
to review or discuss fully
headed back My family is headed back to Shanghai today and will return tomorrow.
to return or go back
heads up Thanks for giving me a heads up on the new job posting.
to be made aware
healthy clip to maintain a consistently strong pace Our new product sales are increasing this year at a very healthy clip.
hemming and hawing They are still hemming and hawing over the issue.
to be undecided
hit a snag Jeff hit a snag when he was developing the latest product.
to be faced with a problem
hit the nail on the head You hit the nail on the head when you said it would be raining to day.
to predict accurately
hitting a brick wall Every time I apply for a visa I’m hitting a brick wall.
to be faced with resistance
hold down the fort be responsible during another’s absenceWill you hold down the fort for me next week, while I’m on vacation?
holy mackerel [cow] Holy mackeral [cow], I can’t believe you ran home from the office!
bewilderment or astonishment
hook, line and sinker The audience swallowed the sales pitch hook, line and sinker.
to naively believe what you are told
hook up Do you want to hook up for dinner after work?
to connect or meet up
hot button Know your audience’s hot buttons before you present your message.
a sensitive or critical issue
humming away The factory was already humming away at 7:00 am this morning.
to function or operate smoothly
in a nutshell In a nutshell the trip was a success.
an overall brief summary
i i
in good hands You will be in good hands if you stay at the Sheraton.
to be taken well care of
in (his) sleep He can program that software in his sleep!
to do a task extremely easily
in the cards I don’t think a job promotion is in the cards for him this year.
to be destiny
in the doghouse He was in the doghouse with his wife, since he came home late every night.
to be in trouble
in the same boat We need to work together to finish this job because we’re in the same boat.
under the same conditions
in (your) neck of the woods I will be in your neck of the woods soon.
in a specific location/area/region
irons in the pot/fire He is stressed because he has so many irons in the pot.
agree to too many responsibilities
jump on the band wagon All the brands are jumping on the bandwagon with this new design.
to follow the majority
j j
jump the gun Before we jump the gun let’s listen to what they have to say.
to take action too quickly
keep an eye Can you please keep an eye on my purse, while I go to the restroom?
to guard or monitor
k k
keep in touch Let’s keep in touch after you move to the United States.
to maintain contact
kill two birds with one stone accomplish two goals with one activity You can kill two birds with one stone and send your email to both people.
know-it-all Her colleagues do not respect her, because she acts like a know-it-all.
opposite of humble
left holding an empty bag The factory was left holding an empty bag when all orders were canceled.
to not receive any benefit
l l
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Copyright © 2008-2009, Chris Linn’s Idiom Guide. All rights reserved.
To download the free guides online: http://uliko.squarespace.com/free-tools/

3. idiom meaning example
light hearted conversation We had a light hearted conversation after the meeting.
casual and enjoyable conversation
lighten up He needs to lighten up during his presentation.
to relax or be more friendly
like the back of (her) hand She knows the product details like the back of her hand.
to be very familiar
lion’s share The U.S. generates the lion’s share of the global revenues.
the majority
lock, stock & barrel He took everything, lock, stock and barrel, when he moved overseas.
to include everything
look a gift horse in the mouth Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth by wondering how much it cost.
to impolitely complain about a gift
look up to to admire or respect (regardless of age) I look up to her because of her character and leadership.
loop in We should loop in the team members, so everyone is aware of the problem.
to include in communication
loose cannon He might be fired since he is such a loose cannon.
dangerously unpredictable
lost (him) We lost him during the presentation and he left the meeting confused.
to not understand; confused
m map out Please map out your agenda for next week’s corporate meetings.
to plan in detail; step by step plan m
mom and pop store Many distributors are not big retailers, but small mom and pop stores.
small independently owned store
money talks His philosphy is money talks, but he was accused of bribery.
using money to influence
move on Let’s move on to the next topic; She moved on to a new position in Africa.
to continue on; to make a change
n name is mud His name is mud, if he comes in late to work one more time.
a poor reputation n
neck and neck The two candidates were neck and neck in the most recent polls.
to compete at an even pace
nest egg His retirement nest egg began to diminish when the stock market crashed.
a money fund for a specific purpose
never a dull moment We had two strikes at the factory this week. It’s never a dull moment there.
one problem after another
nibble away Smoking every day will nibble away at your health.
to slowly erode or diminish
nip it in the bud Let’s try to nip it in the bud, before we take the model into production.
to eliminate the problem early
no doubt There is no doubt he will be the next president after this year’s elections.
absolutely confident (100%)
no baggage She has no baggage since she was hired from the outside.
to leave past problems behind
no sweat A) Thanks for driving me to work this morning. B) No sweat!
no problem (your welcome)
not written in stone It’s not written in stone that he must tip the taxi driver.
not a formal requirement
o off the top of (your) head to remember quickly (without research) Do you know his telephone number, off the top of your head? o
once and for all She took care of the problem, once and for all, by telling to the boss.
the final time
on the horizon I don’t think company bonuses are on the horizon for this year.
within reach
on the same page After that email, we are all on the same page now.
to have common understanding
on the tip of (my) tongue Wait just a minute, his name is on the tip of my tongue.
to almost remember
open door policy to have open, informal communication A good manager has an open door policy with subordinates.
out of pocket The company will reimburse a maximum of $50 for out of pocket expenses.
personal expense money
out of sight, out of mind less likely to take part, if not around it It is easier to quit smoking if it is out of sight, out of mind.
p pan out How did your meeting with the customer yesterday, pan out?
final results p
pick me up I need a pick me up each morning and is the reason I drink coffee.
to provide energy/support
picked up He picked up the new order entry system quickly.
to understand (or learn) quickly
pie in the sky I know it’s pie in the sky, but I would like to be President someday.
to have high expectations
piece of the action Most employees want a piece of the action in the stock purchase program.
to participate in the benefit
play it by ear Let’s just play it by ear and find a hotel after we arrive.
to be spontaneous (no planning)
poo poo Management doesn’t respect him and usually poo-poo his ideas.
to disregard or not accept
pop the question I will pop the question to my girlfriend in Hawaii and ask her to marry me!
ask an important question
pop up I couldn’t meet for lunch, since I had a meeting pop up at the last minute.
to suddenly appear unexpectedly
prod (him) into action We need to prod him into action, since he’s the only one who can fix it!
to strongly emphasize action
pull off I will try and pull off this project by next week.
to achieve
pull out I decided to pull out of the competition since I hurt my leg.
to cancel or decline participation
pulled off He pulled off a surprising victory against the number one seeded player.
to overcome a difficult situation
put (our) foot down We put our foot down and removed the violating supplier from our list.
to demand/enforce
put (your) heads together Please put your heads together and come up with a new marketing strategy.
to brainstorm
put (me) on the spot He put me on the spot when he asked why I wasn’t married.
to intentionally embarrass
r raining cats and dogs It was raining cats and dogs so we canceled the golf appointment.
to rain heavily r
read (him) the riot act She read him the riot act because he was late again.
to scold or lecture
red tape Obtaining a US visa can involve a lot of red tape.
too much bureaucracy
right around the corner I need to be prepared since the next meeting is right around the corner.
in the very near future
right off the bat They need to fix this problem right off the bat tomorrow morning.
to do immediately/first thing
ring a bell Her name does not ring a bell but I do remember the face.
to remember or be familiar with
ripple effect to affect successive groups of people The economic news had a negative ripple effect on many consumers.
roll out Let’s roll out the new policy on Monday to all the employees.
to present for the first time
rolls out the red carpet That company always rolls out the red carpet for their customers.
to give special treatment
round off estimate to the nearest whole number Let’s round off the class size requirement to ten people.
rounded out Her attendance rounded out the group of managers at the meeting.
to complete or make whole
run out of steam to be depleted in energy or enthusiasm He finished the marathon, but appeared to run out of steam on the last mile.
s scared...daylights out of (me) That car scared the daylights out of me since I didn’t see it turn toward me.
to surprise or scare s
scoot in; scoot over Please scoot in your chair for her, or scoot over so she can sit down.
to move in; to move over
shed some light I don’t understand this report. Can you please shed some light on this?
to explain clearly
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Copyright © 2008-2009, Chris Linn’s Idiom Guide. All rights reserved.
To download the free guides online: http://uliko.squarespace.com/free-tools/

4. idiom meaning example
shell game Trying to create and predict a forecast is like a shell game.
a mystery; confusing
shotgun approach I prefer to invite them individually, instead of the email shotgun approach.
to communicate in the same way
show (her) stuff Since her boss is traveling, it is a good chance for her to show her stuff.
to demonstrate capabilities
slip down The supplier had a slip down in their performance this month.
a decline in performance
slip out If shipments slip out one more time, the customer will cancel all the orders.
to become delayed
slot in Can you slot in Lela for the next class when you have a chance?
to insert in; queue in
smoke out We need to smoke out these concerns at the next staff meeting.
to expose the issues
sock away He wants to sock away enough of money for his daughter’s college costs.
to save money for a specific purpose
spot (me) Can you please spot me $10.00 since I forgot my wallet?
to borrow or share
stand up (guy) People respect him because he’s a stand up guy.
a person of integrity
start from scratch The calculations were incorrect, so we had to start from scratch again.
to start at the very beginning
stay tuned I will have more information for everyone tomorrow, so stay tuned.
to await more information
step out of the picture As parents step out of the picture, young adults have to rely on themselves.
no more participation or involvement
step up The boss told her she needs to step up her performance.
to improve
stepped up to the plate He really stepped up to the plate after his promotion.
to meet or exceed expectations
straighten out We need to get this situation straightened out, or we will lose the account.
to resolve or fix
straighten up The boss said he needs to straighten up his attitude.
to behave properly
stuck in a rut His life was stuck in a rut, so he quit his job and went back to school.
unable to change a routine or habit
stuck up Everyone thinks she has become stuck up because of her new promotion.
to act snobbish
stumbling along I’ve been stumbling along, because I’m not familiar with the process.
to be challenged in unfamiliar areas
stunning upset The visiting team pulled off a stunning upset over the home team.
a surprising success or win
suck down She can suck down a can of beer faster than any guy in the room.
to drink quickly until finished
suck it up She should just suck it up and accept the new job assignment overseas.
to unwillingly accept
sure thing Your promotion is a sure thing if keep performing well.
to have confidence in
take a look Let’s take a look at that report this afternoon.
to review or evaluate
t t
take a rain check I can’t go with you today, but can I take a rain check?
to postpone until next time
take a toll All of her personal problems began to take a toll on her work performance.
to diminish/degrade
take...to the next level She wants to take the team to the next level.
to improve significantly
the ball is in (your) court We gave the proposal to the team, so the ball is in their court now.
it is your decision this time
the writing on the wall He should have seen the writing on the wall when he was fired.
clues or hints
the bottom line is The bottom line is you must follow the new procedures.
the main point
the get go You need to understand the entire process from the get go.
from the beginning
the realm of cool Most designers are inspired by anything related to the realm of cool.
everything that is cool
thick of things Since he was in the thick of things his story was more believable.
center of activity
throw out Let her throw out his ideas during the next meeting.
to consider or propose
ticks (me) off It ticks me off when drivers are talking on their cell phones while driving.
makes me upset
ticky tacky Let’s not worry about ticky tacky details, but focus on the main problems.
unimportant details
tie up loose ends I need to tie up loose ends so I can leave work early tonight.
to complete final details
tighten up I wish I could tighten up my golf skills before next week’s game.
to improve control
tip (him) off She tried to help him by tipping him off during the presentation
to hint or signal
to a “T” The report he did, was done to a “T”.
done perfectly
too much on (my) plate I’m sorry I can’t help you, I already have too much on my plate.
a full list of tasks
to spiral I don’t mean to spiral but we need address this problem before continuing.
to stray away from the subject or topic
touch base Will you please touch base with each employee about the new policy?
to meet and discuss
trace (our) roots I can trace our roots back to Korea.
to research original family background
tuckered out I work hard all day and am usually tuckered out in the evening.
to be exhausted
under the gun After moving to Finance, I’ve been under the gun with new responsibilities.
extreme pressure or stress
u u
up and coming I think he is an up and coming designer with a lot of potential.
rising potential
up the creek without a paddle We will all be up the creek without a paddle if we don’t solve this problem.
to be in a very difficult situation
up to something He looks very suspicious. I think he’s up to something.
to scheme or plan
walk in the park Creating the report will be a walk in the park.
simple task
w w
walk the talk People admire her because she knows how to walk the talk.
to follow your words with action
walk (him) through Can you walk him through the new manufacturing process next week?
to explain step by step
walking a thin line My boss says I’m walking a thin line if I don’t improve my performance.
to be in a precarious situation
was over (my) head His explanation was over my head. Can you re-explain it to me?
to not understand
water under the bridge Don’t worry, that issue is already water under the bridge.
already history; past event
well oiled With our well oiled ordering process, we don’t expect any problems.
to operate efficiently or smoothly
what...around, comes around He should remember what goes around comes around and be nicer to him.
treat well and receive well
whole nine yards When you give the presentation you need to explain the whole nine yards.
to do completely or entirely
with a grain of salt Take her advice with a grain of salt, since she is sometimes misinformed.
be cautious of what you hear/read
work out Can you work out the issue for the client; I’m going to work out after work.
to find a solution; to do fitness
work up Please have the factory work up the materials cost and forward it on to me.
to create or calculate
work off some steam I need to work off some steam and go to the fitness center after work.
to shed stress or weight
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Copyright © 2008-2009, Chris Linn’s Idiom Guide. All rights reserved.
To download the free guides online: http://uliko.squarespace.com/free-tools/