Sounding Authentic: 22 Business English Phrases and Idioms for All Occasions 1. Get a business off the ground
The business has been registered with its own name, the employees are hired and the product or service is ready to be offered to the public. In other words, the owner got his or her business off the ground.
For example:
“After finding the right investors and securing enough capital (money to start with), we finally got our business off the ground and opened our first store in Toronto.”
2. From the ground up
Similar to the last one, if you build a business or project from zero or from the bottom, you're starting from the ground up.
For example:
“Have you read the news about the enterprising 12-year-old who's building her business from the ground up?”
3. Long shot
Imagine you're throwing a dart from a long distance. What are the chances of it hitting the bullseye (the exact center of the target)?
A long shot is an idiom that's usually used to describe something that has a very small chance of happening or succeeding.
For example:
“Landing such a high-paying job is a long shot but I'm still going to give it a try.”
4. Bring to the table
To bring [something] to the table means to bring something of use or benefit (skills, experience, etc.) to a job or business activity (project, meeting, etc.).
For example:
“We need someone on the team who can bring project management experience to the table.”
5. Learning the ropes
Imagine that you're on a sailboat. The first thing you would learn is how to tie knots and work the sails. In other words, you would learn how all the ropes work!
To learn the ropes means to learn how to do your job or a particular task, especially if you have no prior experience. Because of this, it is commonly used when referring to new employees in training.
If you change it to say “to teach someone the ropes,” you can use it to describe a boss or more senior person helping a new employee understand their role and responsibilities.
For example:
“Hey Paul, how's your new job?”
“It's great but I've only been there for two weeks so I'm still learning the ropes.”
“I've got a great manager who's been teaching me the ropes, so I'm learning quickly!”
6. Learning curve
A learning curve is used to describe the progress someone has to make to gain experience or learn a new skill set. A steep learning curve indicates the task may be difficult and therefore take more effort.
For example:
“She is welcome to join our team, but there will be a steep learning curve.”
7. Go the extra mile
To go the extra mile means to give more effort or do more than what's expected of you.
For example:
“Anyone would be glad to have Pam on their team. She's a great team player and is always willing to go the extra mile.”
8. A win-win situation
You might hear that something is a win-win situation, or that something is win-win in both business and regular English. The phrase describes a situation where everybody involved in the event or deal benefits from the outcome.
In business, it is often used during negotiations or trades, where both parties receive something that they need from the other.
For example:
“The deal is simple, we give them office space and they give us the new equipment that we need.”
“It sounds like a win-win situation to me!”
9. Overplay your hand
Be careful that you don't overplay your hand. Being overly-confident about your work and your chance of success may actually disadvantage you.
For example:
“My cousin overplayed his hand and ended up losing his job.”
10. Get down to business
Business meetings usually begin with some small talk while waiting for everyone to arrive. When it's time to start seriously focusing on the actual work, it's time to get down to business.
For example:
“We've got plenty of topics to cover in today's meeting so let's get down to business.”
11. Get down to brass tacks
Again: let's get on with the business at hand. You might hear this at the start of a business meeting, after some brief introductions or socializing.
For example:
“Now that everyone's here, let's get down to brass tacks.”
12. A ballpark number / figure / estimate
This phrase, like many other business expressions, is related to sports. The ballpark is the sports ground or stadium where baseball is played.
Giving a ballpark figure means giving an estimate of the value, time or number of something. It is used when the specific amount or number is not yet known or agreed upon but an estimate is required.
A ballpark is very large! So, this expression is specifically used for giving a very rough estimate or a large range in value.
For example:
“To give you a ballpark figure, the new project will take between one and three months to complete.”
13. The bottom line
You may know that the last or bottom line on a financial statement is the most important. It shows the total profit or loss. So the phrase the bottom line is used in general to refer to the final outcome, or the most important point to consider.
For example:
“It's true that we're very short-handed, but the bottom line is we must still deliver the project on time.”
14. Smooth sailing
Think of the business as a sailboat. The skies are blue and the water is calm. When everything is going well and without any problems, we call it smooth sailing.
For example:
“Once the company overcame the country's bureaucracy, it was smooth sailing from then on.”
15. The big picture
The big picture means to look at the overall view of something, or the situation as a whole and not the details.
For example:
“I think his presentation was too long and detailed. He should've just given us the big picture.”
16. In a nutshell
Have you seen a nutshell? Think of how small it is and how little it can hold. So, in a nutshell means in summary, or in as few words as possible.
For example:
“This book is about successful businesspeople and how they reached the top. In a nutshell, it's about how to grow a successful business.”
17. Gray area
The color gray is between black and white. When something is in a gray area, it means the situation isn't certain. In a gray area there are no clear rules and it's difficult to say if it's right or wrong.
For example:
“You have many good points in your proposal but there's one gray area we need to discuss.”
18. Red tape
Nobody likes to encounter red tape when they're trying to do their work. Red tape refers to excessive regulations and rules that you need to comply with before you can get your work done.
For example:
“Our project is stalled because we ran into some red tape.”
19. The wrong end of the stick
To succeed in business, it's helpful to have good knowledge of business phrases and idioms.
So hopefully these business expressions will prevent you from getting the wrong end of the stick. This phrase refers to a total misunderstanding of a situation, plan or idea.
For example:
“Jackie's not in charge of this project… Mark is. Seems like you got the wrong end of the stick.”
20. Walking papers
If you are given your walking papers, it means you have received a notice that you are being fired or laid off from your job.
For example:
“Did you hear? The boss just gave Brett his walking papers!”
21. Back to square one
Back to square one simply means to start over, or to go back to the beginning.
For example:
“I wish I'd saved my spreadsheet before the server crashed. Now I have to go back to square one.”
22. Call it a day
When your work has been completed for the day, or when you decide to stop working on an activity, you can call it a day.
For example:
“Now that we've completed the outline for the new project, let's call it a day.”
