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| Work-Related Idioms and Slang
| Idiom/Slang
| What does it mean?
| How might I say it in a sentence?
| | 11th hour
| Right before the deadline; time is almost up (12 is the deadline)
| “We finished cleaning that house at the 11th hour, just before the renters came in.”
| | A day late and a dollar short
| Too late and not enough.
| “We are a day late and a dollar shortbecause no customers want to buy this older cell phone model.”
| | A fresh pair of eyes
| A new and different perspective
| “We need a fresh pair of eyes on this project because we have been working on it for too long.”
| | A piece of cake
| Easy, uncomplicated
| “I can build these easy models in 10 minutes—this job is a piece of cake!”
| | Accident waiting to happen
| An arrangement that might result in damage or injury
| “Stop stacking those boxes so high—that is an accident waiting to happen.”
| | All ears
| Ready to listen and pay attention
| “Go ahead and explain it to me, I am all ears.”
| | All work and no play
| The focus is on work, and there is no opportunity for fun.
| “We cannot chat at work at all because our boss is all work and no play.”
| | Arm’s length
| At a distance equal to the length of an arm; not close to physically
| “I should stand an arm’s length away from someone when talking to them.”
| | Arm’s length
| Not emotionally close to; apart or away from
| “You should keep her at arm’s length because she cannot be trusted.”
| | A.S.A.P.
| Stands for As Soon As Possible; top priority, needs to be done now
| “I need to finish cleaning those rooms A.S.A.P.!”
| | Back burner
| A lower priority; not as important right now
| “Let’s put that task on the back burner until we finish these more important tasks.”
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| Idiom/Slang
| What does it mean?
| How might I say it in a sentence?
| | Back to square one
| Return to the beginning; starting over
| “Our plan did not work at all, so now we are back to square one.”
| | Bad mouth
| Talk about in a negative way; gossip
| “It hurts my feelings when a co-worker bad mouths me to their friend.”
| | Bang up job
| An excellent job; good work
| “His boss was so happy with him because he did a bang up job yesterday.”
| | Beat around the bush
| Avoid saying or doing something; to delay
| “Don’t beat around the bush, just tell me why you are upset.”
| | Beat the clock
| Finish in time; finish before the deadline
| “You are going to have to hurry if you want to beat the clock.”
| | Beating a dead horse
| Talking about an idea or issue too much or too long.
| “We need to stop beating a dead horse because we have already talked about this and made a decision.”
| | Behind closed doors
| In private, confidential
| “You should talk to him about this behind closed doors because customers should not hear it.”
| | Bend over backwards
| Try very hard to please someone
| “Sometimes, you have to bend over backwards to make customers happy.”
| | Bent out of shape
| Upset, frustrated, stressed
| “The customer was bent out of shape because he had to wait in line for 15 minutes.”
| | Big fish
| The boss; the person in charge
| “Kelly is the big fish in this department, so we need to listen to her.”
| | Bite off more than you can chew
| To take on more work than you can handle
| “Don’t bite off more than you can chew by offering to repair all 27 of those hard drives. “
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| Idiom/Slang
| What does it mean?
| How might I say it in a sentence?
| | Bite someone’s head off
| To yell at someone suddenly
| “If I don’t get some sleep later, I am going to bite someone’s head off!”
| | Bite the bullet
| To accept, face, or deal with the consequences
| “You are just going to have to bite the bullet and apologize for that mistake.”
| | Bite your tongue
| Keep your thoughts to yourself
| “Bite your tongue and don’t argue with your supervisor.”
| | Bounce ideas
| To take turns sharing ideas with each other
| “Let’s all have a meeting so we can bounce ideas around.”
| | Brainstorm
| When two or more people develop a solution or idea together
| “Let’s brainstorm a new way to organize these books.”
| | Break even
| Not making money and not losing money
| “I pretty much broke even after I received my $500 paycheck and then paid my $450 rent.”
| | Bring home the bacon
| Bring home money; to get paid; bring home a paycheck
| “If you want to buy a new car, you need to bring home the bacon.”
| | Broke
| Having no money, poor
| “I am broke because I spent my entire paycheck on video games.”
| | Brown nose
| Flatter someone in effort to gain favor or advantage
| “My co-worker is such a brown nose, he is always trying to tell the boss how great she is.”
| | Brownie points
| Recognition or favor by the boss
| “I am going to work late this week and try to get some brownie points from my supervisor.”
| | Buckle down
| Get focused, start working; get the job done
| “You need to buckle down and finish this assignment!”
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| Idiom/Slang
| What does it mean?
| How might I say it in a sentence?
| | Burn the candle at both ends
| Working too hard, for too long, and on too many things
| “He is burning the candle at both ends by working here during the day and then waiting tables at night.”
| | Burn your bridges
| End a relationship in a bad way with no chance of repairing it.
| “If you quit without giving any notice to your boss, you will burn your bridges there.”
| | Burning the midnight oil
| Working late into the night
| “I have been burning the midnight oil lately in order to get this project done on time.”
| | Business as usual
| Same as always; no change in the routine; what is expected
| “Even though the weather was really bad, it was business as usual for the landscaping company.”
| | Call it a day
| Time to go home, the end of the workday
| “It is 6pm and I have wrapped all the boxes, so let’s call it a day.”
| | Call the shots
| In charge, makes the final decisions
| “My supervisor calls the shots on how we should store the data.”
| | Canned
| Fired, removed from the job
| “She was canned because yelled at her boss.”
| | Chill out
| Relax, take a break; calm down
| “Today has been really stressful, so I need to just go home and chill out.”
| | Climb the corporate ladder
| Move up, advanced, get promoted in a company
| “After working here for 6 years, I am finally starting to climb the corporate ladder.”
| | Close up shop
| Close a business at the end of the day
| “It’s 5pm and so it’s time to close up shop for the day.”
| | Cost an arm and a leg
| Costs a large amount of money
| “There is no way I can afford those tickets, they cost an arm and a leg!”
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| Idiom/Slang
| What does it mean?
| How might I say it in a sentence?
| | Crunch time
| A time interval before a deadline where you must work really hard to complete something
| “The project is due tomorrow, so it’s crunch time.”
| | Dead weight
| Someone who is a burden; someone who cannot or does not do their job correctly
| “He never finishes his part of the project, so I feel like he is just dead weight that we have to carry.”
| | Dirty work
| Harder, tougher , unpleasant work
| “Everyone else left, so I had to do the dirty work of moving all of the tables and chairs back to the closet.”
| | Dog eat dog world
| A competitive, tough environment
| “I need to apply and interview for many jobs, because it is a dog eat dog world out there.”
| | Done deal
| A deal or agreement that has been made; the issue has been decided
| “It’s a done deal, I have already accepted that job offer.”
| | Dot your i’s and cross your t’s
| Include all necessary details; carefully check for any mistakes
| “You should dot your i’s and cross your t’s before you turn that report in to the boss.”
| | Down to the wire
| Just before the deadline; right before time is up
| “We were working down to the wirein order to get the products mailed out in time.”
| | Drag your feet
| Move slowly or hesitate; resist or avoid something
| “Don’t drag your feet, just go out there and load those crates.”
| | Drop someone a line
| Call someone by phone
| “I will drop him a line later on today after I read his report.”
| | Elbow grease
| Hard work, effort
| “It’s going to take some serious elbow grease to get all of these plants loaded.”
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| Idiom/Slang
| What does it mean?
| How might I say it in a sentence?
| | Face the music
| Face the consequences
| “I know I messed up, and now I am going to have to face the music.”
| | For your eyes only
| Confidential; for no-one else to see
| “Those private medical records are for your eyes only.”
| | Front burner
| A higher priority; a task that should be completed soon or now
| “Put that task on the front burnerbecause the store opens in only 2 hours.”
| | Get a grip
| Relax, calm down, focus on what is important
| “I need to get a grip and stop worrying about that game.”
| | Get the ax
| Get fired
| “He will get the ax if he keeps showing up to work late.”
| | Get the boot
| Get fired
| “She might get the boot if she is rude to the customers.”
| | Get the hang of it
| Starting to understand how to do something; learning something new
| “Don’t worry, you will get the hang of it after you practice several times.”
| | Get the pink slip
| Get fired
| “I am worried that I might get the pink slip if I miss work again.”
| | Get the sack
| Get fired
| “You will get the sack if you steal the company’s property.”
| | Go with the flow
| Accept the situation without argument or resistance; follow the lead of other people
| “Just try to go with the flow and accept that your schedule might change sometimes.”
| | Got a case of the Mondays
| In a bad mood because it’s not the weekend anymore
| “I have got a case of the Mondays and I do not want to clean today.”
| | Green
| New, inexperienced
| “She just started working here yesterday, so she’s still pretty green.”
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| Idiom/Slang
| What does it mean?
| How might I say it in a sentence?
| | Hammer out the problems
| Solve the problems
| “We need to hammer out the problems before we can even begin to create a new system.”
| | Have a lot of my plate
| Very busy, too much to do
| “I have a lot on my plate right now, so I don’t think I can make it to the movies tonight.”
| | Have my hands full
| Very busy, too much to do
| “I have my hands full with working full time, going to school, and taking care of my pets.”
| | Hit the ground running
| Start working on something immediately; start a task without hesitation
| “I need to hit the ground running if I want to finish this project before the weekend.”
| | Hump day
| Wednesday; the middle of the work week
| “It’s hump day, only two more days until the weekend!”
| | In over my head
| Overwhelmed, confused
| “I feel like I am in over my head in this job—I need some help.”
| | In stock
| In the store; available for use and/or purchase
| “We do have that item in stock right now, let me go get it for you.”
| | In the black
| Earning money, making profits
| “I think we might get a raise this month because the company is in the black.”
| | In the loop
| Aware of something; involved with what is going on
| “She will be mad if we don’t keep her in the loopbecause she is a part of our team.”
| | In the red
| Losing money, in debt; in trouble financially
| “I am worried that we all might lose our jobs because this company is in the red.”
| | In the swing of things
| Get involved, focused, active
| “It might be hard for me to get back in the swing of things after being on vacation for a week.”
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| Idiom/Slang
| What does it mean?
| How might I say it in a sentence?
| | In the weeds
| In trouble, overwhelmed
| “Five tables are ready to order, two tables need their checks, and I have four tables to clean—I am in the weeds!”
| | It’s not the end of the world
| It will be okay; everything will be alright; it’s not that bad
| “Hey, it’s not the end of the world if I forget to bring my lunch one day.”
| | Jump the gun
| Start too quickly
| “Don’t jump the gun and buy more paper before we even know how much paper we need!”
| | Jump through hoops
| Work very hard and do many things to please someone
| “Sometimes, you have to jump through hoops to make customers happy.”
| | Keep something under wraps
| Keep something private, hidden, confidential
| “Let’s keep this under wraps until our supervisor has had a chance to look it over.”
| | Keep your eye on the prize
| Stay focused on the goal
| “Just keep your eye on the prize and try not to get distracted by other things.”
| | Kiss up
| Flatter in effort to gain favor, attention, and privileges
| “Sometimes, I have to kiss up to my customers a little if I want them to buy these products.”
| | Make a living
| To earn money so you can bill your bills, buy food, and take care of other needs and wants
| “It is time for me to get a job so I can make a living.”
| | Make cold calls
| Contact people (usually customers) by phone who you do not know
| “In this sales job, I spend most of my time making cold calls to potential customers.”
| | Make up your mind
| Make a decision
| “Please make up your mind about this project so I know what to do next.”
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| Idiom/Slang
| What does it mean?
| How might I say it in a sentence?
| | Marching orders
| Get fired
| “She received her marching orders after her boss found out what happened.”
| | Mix business with pleasure
| To combine personal/social activities with work activities; to engage in personal/social relationships while at work
| “It is not a good idea to mix business with pleasure, so you should not ask that co-worker out on a date.”
| | Newbie
| A new person on the job
| “I am a newbie, so I don’t know where the copy machine is located yet.”
| | Nine to five
| A job the occurs during the traditional workday (9am - 5pm ); when most businesses operate
| “I am tired of working nights and weekends, I just want a nine to five.”
| | Nothing ventured, nothing gained
| If you don’t try something, you will never know if you might have succeeded; don’t be afraid to try
| “Even though I might not get this job, I am going to apply anyway – nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?”
| | Off the hook
| Free from responsibility, obligation, or blame
| “Don’t worry, the boss found out who really made the mistake, so you are off the hook.”
| | Off the hook
| Really good, fun, cool, interesting, or new
| “Their new album is off the hook!”
| | On his/her bad side
| Out of someone’s favor; they are not happy with you or do not like you
| “You don’t want to get on her bad side because she has a lot of power in this office.”
| | On his/her good side
| In someone’s favor; they are happy with you and they like you
| “I need to stay on her good side because she has a lot of power in this office.”
| | On the dot
| At an exact time, not a minute later
| “You need to finish that job by 10am on the dot.”
| | On the fence
| Unsure, undecided
| “I am on the fence about this – I don’t know which job offer to accept.”
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| Idiom/Slang
| What does it mean?
| How might I say it in a sentence?
| | On the other hand
| As another option; an alternative
| “You could buy this system; on the other hand, you might want to consider this handheld device instead.”
| | Pass the buck
| Put the blame or responsibility on someone else
| “Just take responsibility for what happened and don’t try to pass the buck to someone else.”
| | Pick up the slack
| Take responsibility or action when others cannot
| “I don’t want to have to pick up the slack when he does not do his job correctly.”
| | Pull a few strings
| Use connections, power, or advantages to get something done
| “My old teacher might be able to pull a few strings and help me get that job.”
| | Pull your weight
| Do your fair share; take responsibility
| “You need to pull your weight because this is a team, and we have to get this job done together.”
| | Pull yourself up by your boot straps
| Rely on yourself to make things better or to get the job done
| “I had to pull myself up by my bootstraps after I lost my job.”
| | Put our heads together
| Think about an idea/issue together; develop a solution together
| “Let’s put our heads together and try to figure out what is wrong with this computer.”
| | Put pen to paper
| Start writing; begin working
| “I need to stop talking about this idea and just put pen to paper.”
| | Quick study
| A fast learner
| “You are a quick study –you learned how to use this software in just one hour.”
| | R. and R.
| Stands for rest and relaxation; a vacation or break from work
| “I need some serious R and R after the tough month that I have had. “
| | Reality check
| A reminder of what is realistic; a review of what really happened
| “He needs a reality check –he is never going to be the supervisor of this store.”
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| Idiom/Slang
| What does it mean?
| How might I say it in a sentence?
| | Roll up your sleeves
| Start working; do the task; get it done
| “Ok, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and finish this work.”
| | Rundown
| Quick summary; explanation
| “Ok, please give me a rundown on what happened at yesterday’s meeting.”
| | Scale back hours
| Decrease hours
| “I might need to scale back my hourshere if I have to take 2 classes next semester.”
| | Shape up or ship out
| Start doing what you are supposed to do, or leave
| “That guy has a really bad attitude, so his boss told him to shape up or ship out.”
| | Show someone the ropes
| Teach someone how to do something
| “My co-worker showed me the ropes, and now I feel much more confident about this job.”
| | Spread too thin
| Trying to do too many things at time so that you cannot properly devote your time to everything
| “He took on too many tasks and now he is spread too thin.”
| | Stamp of approval
| Expression of agreement or approval
| “I am happy because when I explained my idea to the boss, I got her stamp of approval!”
| | Start from scratch
| Start from the very beginning
| “We did not set up these tables correctly, so now we have to start from scratch.”
| | Start off on the right foot
| Make a good first impression
| “I want to make sure that I start off on the right foot with all of my new co-workers by being friendly and helpful.”
| | Start off on the wrong foot
| Make a bad first impression
| “I started off on the wrong foot with my co-worker by asking him how much money he makes.”
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| Idiom/Slang
| What does it mean?
| How might I say it in a sentence?
| | Step on it
| Hurry up, move quickly
| “I was running late to work, so I asked the cab driver to step on it.”
| | Suck it up
| Accept something without complaining about it
| “I am going to have to suck it upand accept the fact that not everyone in my office listens to music that I like.”
| | Sugarcoat
| Make something seem more pleasant or positive than it actually is
| “Don’t sugarcoat the issue, just tell him exactly what he did wrong.”
| | Take someone under your wing
| Help someone by showing them how to do something; showing support to someone
| “She was really nice because she took me under her wing and helped me understand how to do this job.”
| | T.G.I.F.
| Stands for Thank God It’s Friday, or stands for Thank Goodness It’s Friday; the weekend is almost here and the work week is almost over
| “T.G.I.F. – I am so ready to sleep in tomorrow morning.”
| | T.M.I.
| Stands for Too Much Information; the information shared was too personal and inappropriate
| “When he told me all about his stomach problems, that was T.M.I.!”
| | The big picture
| The larger, complete understanding of a situation
| “I need to see the big picture here and not just focus on all of the little details.”
| | The clock is ticking
| Time is running out; the deadline is approaching
| “Ok everyone, you need to fill these orders before 5pm, the clock is ticking.”
| | Think outside of the box
| Think creatively or differently than usual
| “Let’s think outside of the box. I am tired of hearing the same old ideas.”
| | Throw cold water over
| End, stop, or disagree with someone else’s idea
| “I made a different suggestion, but he threw cold water over it.”
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| Idiom/Slang
| What does it mean?
| How might I say it in a sentence?
| | Under the weather
| Feeling ill, sick
| “I am feeling under the weatherand so I might have to call in sick today.”
| | Up-to-date
| Current, recent information
| “I need up-to-date information on how to place these orders for my customers.”
| | Wear many hats
| Have many jobs, roles, or responsibilities
| “I wear many hats in this job–I greet customers, repair parts, answer phones, and check billing records.”
| | What’s up?
| What is going on?
Hello!
| “Hey, what’s up? I have not seen you in so long!”
| | Win-win situation
| A positive outcome for all people involved; everyone “wins”
| “This is a win-win situation because I will get to work more hours, and my boss gets to have his weekends off.”
| | Wishy-washy
| Indecisive, unsure, uncertain
| “Don’t be so wishy-washy about this, just pick one side of the argument.”
| | Woke up on the wrong side of the bed
| In a bad mood, irritated, cranky
| “I am sorry that I was rude, I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.”
| | Word of mouth
| When information is spread by talking, rather than through written words/advertisements
| “Customers have learned about our restaurant through word of mouth only.”
| | Work fingers to the bone
| Work very hard
| “I have been working my fingers to the bone on this project.”
| | Work like a dog
| Work very hard
| I’ve been working like a dog. I’m going to sleep well tonight!
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Date: 2015-12-11; view: 1314
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