Home · Idioms & Expressions · Unit 03
Unit 03
Work & Business Idioms
on the same page, touch base…
Modern Office English
Business English is full of idioms, and many of them are recent — you will hear them in meetings, online calls and emails every day. They are informal but completely acceptable at work.
Meetings & Teamwork
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| on the same page | in agreement; sharing the same understanding | Before we start, let's make sure we're all on the same page. |
| touch base | to make brief contact to share news | I'll touch base with you after the meeting. |
| get the ball rolling | to start an activity or process | Let's get the ball rolling with a quick introduction. |
| think outside the box | to think creatively, in a new way | We need to think outside the box to solve this. |
| back to the drawing board | time to start planning again after a failure | The client rejected our design, so it's back to the drawing board. |
| the ball is in your court | it is your turn to act or decide | We've made our offer — the ball is in your court now. |
| learn the ropes | to learn how to do a new job | It takes a few weeks to learn the ropes. |
| pull your weight | to do your fair share of the work | Everyone in the team has to pull their weight. |
Deadlines & Pressure
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| crunch time | the critical period when pressure is highest | It's crunch time — the deadline is tomorrow. |
| against the clock | with very little time to finish something | We're working against the clock to finish the project. |
| cut corners | to do something badly or cheaply to save time or money | Never cut corners on safety. |
| burn the midnight oil | to work or study late into the night | She's been burning the midnight oil to finish her thesis. |
| go the extra mile | to do more than is expected | Our staff always go the extra mile for customers. |
| a heads-up | a warning or advance notice | Thanks for the heads-up about the meeting. |
Business & Results
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| the bottom line | the most important fact; the final profit or loss | The bottom line is that we need more customers. |
| a ballpark figure | an approximate number | Can you give me a ballpark figure for the cost? |
| low-hanging fruit | easy tasks or goals that bring quick results | Let's focus on the low-hanging fruit first. |
| a win-win situation | a result that is good for everyone involved | The deal is a win-win situation for both companies. |
| get the green light | to receive permission to start | The project finally got the green light. |
| a red flag | a warning sign of a problem | Frequent job changes can be a red flag for employers. |
| get the sack | to lose your job (informal) | He got the sack for being late every day. |
Watch Out
- Touch base and a heads-up are very common in modern emails: Just a quick heads-up: the meeting has moved to 3 p.m.
- The bottom line is also used in everyday speech: The bottom line is, I can't afford it.
- Get the sack (UK) = get fired (US and UK). The active form is give someone the sack.
Annotated Examples
Subject
Verb
Auxiliary
Object
Adjective
Adverb
Preposition
Hover over any word to see its role.
subjectLet'sverbtouch baseadverbnext week.
↳ touch base = make brief contact.
subjectWeverbneed to think outside the box.
↳ think outside the box = think creatively.
subjectThe projectverbgotobjectthe green light.
↳ get the green light = receive permission.
Common Mistakes
Let's touch the base next week.
→
Let's touch base next week.
Fixed form: touch base (no article).
We're on the same side of the page.
→
We're on the same page.
Fixed form: on the same page.
Thanks for the head-up.
→
Thanks for the heads-up.
Fixed form: a heads-up.
Can you give me a baseball figure?
→
Can you give me a ballpark figure?
Fixed form: a ballpark figure.
The ball is in your field.
→
The ball is in your court.
Fixed form: in your court.