26 IMPORTANT Business English Idioms + QUIZ

Introduction

Hello! Today, I want to teach you 26 fantastic English idioms that you need to know, all related to business English. I'm going to share them with you through a story about my friend Jack's new job. These idioms are useful to use at work or in professional conversations.

The best news? We've created an awesome quiz to help you test what you learned during this video and ensure these idioms stick in your mind so you can remember and start using them naturally. Completing the quiz will give you confidence about which idioms you know well and can use confidently, and which ones you need to learn more about.

But before you do the quiz, let's get to the story and learn about these common English idioms together.

Jack's New Job Story

This is my mate Jack. She recently started working as the Creative Director of a well-known marketing agency. She was thrilled to get the position because it pays well and the company has a great reputation across the industry. Jack likes to put her best foot forward, meaning she tries hard to make a good impression. She assumed that as an established company, there would be robust systems in place to allow her to hit the ground running and work hand in glove with her new team.

Unfortunately for Jack, she was thrown in at the deep end on day one. She quickly realized that the real talent in the team had jumped ship after her predecessor quit, so she was left with a team of juniors who were still learning the ropes. Being thrown in the deep end means being placed in a challenging situation without preparation. Jump ship means to leave the company, often leaving others feeling abandoned. Learning the ropes means learning how to do one's job well.

The first thing Jack did was ask her team to brief her on the status of their current projects. To her dismay, she learned that the team had been in a holding pattern for the last few weeks, waiting for her to start. Three of the six deadlines had blown out, three major clients were complaining, and things were getting out of hand. The team had been cutting corners to get work done, which rubbed her up the wrong way. A holding pattern means waiting for something before doing something new. Out of hand means out of control. Cutting corners means doing a job in the easiest, fastest, or cheapest way, often ignoring rules. Rubbing someone up the wrong way means annoying them.

Anyone who has worked with Jack knows she runs a tight ship. Now that she had her foot in the door at the agency, she realized nobody else was going to turn this ship around, so she rolled up her sleeves and got to work. Running a tight ship means managing a team strictly and efficiently. Having a foot in the door means taking the first step in a new opportunity, hoping it will lead to more chances. Turning the ship around means making significant changes. Rolling up her sleeves means preparing for hard work.

On her second day, Jack called a meeting with the general manager and cut to the chase. If they wanted her to stay in the role, she was going to implement drastic changes to get the team back on track, and she wanted to feel confident that the general manager had her back. Cutting to the chase means being direct. Being on track means making progress as needed, while off track means not doing so. Having her back means having support.

Jack made it clear that the existing culture of 80-hour workweeks was unacceptable and that continuing in this way would land them in hot water. Although she didn't want to rock the boat, she could see her team was exhausted and something had to give. Landing in hot water means getting into trouble. Rocking the boat means causing trouble. Something has to give means a situation can't continue as it is.

The general manager told her they were doing everything by the book and didn't realize there was a problem. It was clear to Jack that the behavior was being normalized from the top down. Doing something by the book means following rules strictly. Above board means doing something legally and properly.

Long story short, Jack really had her work cut out for her. She spent the first few weeks putting out fires and trying to win over her new team. But I've got to hand it to her—she could have easily thrown in the towel, but she stuck with it and earned the unwavering support of her team and the board. Long story short summarizes a story quickly. Putting out fires means dealing with urgent problems. Hand it to her means admiring someone's effort. Throwing in the towel means giving up.

Keywords

• Business English
• Idioms
• Best foot forward
• Hit the ground running
• Hand in glove
• Thrown in the deep end
• Jump ship
• Learning the ropes
• Holding pattern
• Out of hand
• Cutting corners
• Rub up the wrong way
• Tight ship
• Foot in the door
• Turn the ship around
• Roll up sleeves
• Cut to the chase
• On track / Off track
• Have someone's back
• Hot water
• Rock the boat
• Something has to give
• By the book
• Above board
• Long story short
• Putting out fires
• Hand it to someone
• Throw in the towel

FAQ

Q: What does "put your best foot forward" mean?
A: It means trying hard to make a good impression, especially when meeting someone for the first time or starting a new job.

Q: What does it mean to "hit the ground running"?
A: It means beginning a new role or task with lots of energy and enthusiasm and making progress from the start.

Q: Can you explain "thrown in the deep end"?
A: It means being placed in a challenging situation without preparation or support, often having to figure things out on your own.

Q: What does "learn the ropes" mean?
A: It means learning how to do a new job or task effectively.

Q: What does "rub someone up the wrong way" mean?
A: It means to annoy or irritate someone.

Q: What does "run a tight ship" mean?
A: It means managing a team or organization strictly and efficiently.

Q: What does "have your foot in the door" mean?
A: It means taking the first step in a new opportunity, hoping for more opportunities in the future.

Q: What does it mean to "cut to the chase"?
A: It means being direct and getting to the main point quickly.

Q: What does "long story short" mean?
A: It's used to summarize a longer story or situation quickly, focusing on the main point.

Q: What does "throw in the towel" mean?
A: It means to give up or admit defeat, often out of frustration.