idiom meaning example

If we want to stay
To be more successful ahead of the pack, we’ll
Ahead of the pack
than the competition have to increase our
marketing budget.
To make this software
To start something over
finally work, we have
Back to square one again because a
to go back to square
previous attempt failed
one.
To give you a ballpark
figure, how much the
border wall to Mexico
Ballpark number/figure A very inexact estimate
is going to cost, I’d say
about 30 million
dollars.
Everything that is Working on all these
Big picture involved with a details, we have lost
particular situation sight of the big picture.
To do things exactly We told our auditors
By the book according to the rules that we do everything
or the law by the book.
Amazon more or less
To dominate a
Corner the market corners the online
particular market
retailing market.
Very intense, Competition in the food
Cut-throat aggressive, and retailing business is
merciless competition cut-throat.
I lost 500 Euros in a
Something gained poker game last night,
Easy come, easy go
easily is also lost easily but that’s life – easy
come, easy go.
What is our game plan
A strategy or plan for
Game plan for dealing with our
achieving success
new competitor?
Now that everyone’s
Stop making small talk
here, let’s get down to
Get down to business and start talking about
business and start with
serious business topics
the presentation.
Now that we have
finished the planning
Get something off the To start something (e.g.
phase, we’re eager the
ground a project or a business)
get the project off the
ground.
Go down the drain Something is wasted or All our efforts in
lost entering this
 new market went down
the drain.
To give our customers
To do more than what the best shopping
Go the extra mile
people expect experience, we go the
extra mile.
Not being free to
I’d love to help you,
Hands are tied behave in the way that
but my hands are tied.
you would like
In a nutshell, we will
Using as few words as
In a nutshell run out of cash in three
possible
months time.
At a stage when the Construction of our
In full swing level of activity is at its new production site is
highest in full swing now.
Being offered the
To be in charge or in position of managing
In the driver’s seat
control of a situation director, I’ll soon be in
the driver’s seat.
We should not
To give something diversify our product
Keep one’s eye on the
one’s full attention and offering too much, but
ball
to not lose focus rather keep our eyes on
the ball.
Learn the basics of I’m learning the ropes
Learn the ropes
something (e.g. a job) in my new position.
Something that has a
Winning the lottery is a
Long shot very low probability of
long shot.
happening
Making money
Something that is really working for an
No-brainer
obvious or easy investment bank is a
no-brainer.
Something is given They will let you try
without involving the product for free
No strings attached
special demands or with no strings
limits attached.
This product is
Something isn’t
Not going to fly definitely not going to
expected to work out
fly.
Let’s go over the
contract details once
To be in agreement
On the same page more to make sure
about something
we’re on the same
page.
 Something that is
Our financials our out
Out in the open public knowledge and
in the open anyway.
not secret anymore
It’s not smart to invest
in American tech
Put all one’s eggs in To rely on only one
stocks only and put all
one basket thing to bring success
one’s eggs in one
basket.
Trying to find an
To do or think about investor without having
Put the cart before the
things in the wrong a business plan is like
horse
order putting the cart before
the horse.
The iPhone raised the
To set standards or
Raise the bar bar for smartphone
expectations higher
makers.
Official rules and
The new law is going
processes that seem
Red tape to create a lot of red
excessive and
tape.
unnecessary
To do or say something Don’t rock the boat
Rock the boat that will upset people until the negotiations
or cause problems are finished.
It’s a safe bet that
computer processor
Something that is
Safe bet speed will more than
certain to happen
triple within the next 10
years.
To be in the same None of us has any
Same boat difficult situation as money left, so we’re all
someone else in the same boat.
My boss doesn’t see
To agree with eye to eye with me
See eye to eye
somebody about our marketing
campaign.
I want to see this
To continue until
See something through project through before
something is finished
taking on another one.
We had to sever ties
with several suppliers
Sever ties To end a relationship
due to poor product
quality.
Shoot something down To reject something You shouldn’t shoot
(e.g. an idea or a down your co-workers
proposal) ideas during a
 brainstorming session.
Once our largest
A situation where
competitor went out of
Smooth sailing success is achieved
business, it was smooth
without difficulties
sailing.
They tried to cut my
To not change one’s
Stand one’s ground travel budget, but I
opinion or position
stood my ground.
My mid-level managers
To directly confront a
constantly delayed
Take the bull by the difficult situation in a
projects, so I took the
horns brave and determined
bull by the horns and
way
fired several of them.
I was reluctant to
Talk someone into To convince someone redesign our website,
something to do something but my employees
talked me into it.
We wanted to take on
Talk someone out of To convince someone
more debt, but our CFO
something not to do something
talked us out of it.
We should have
An obvious problem or
discussed our pending
The elephant in the controversial issue that
litigation, but no one
room no one wants to
wanted to talk about the
discuss.
elephant in the room.
To think of creative, Our current approach
unconventional will get us nowhere.
Think outside the box
solutions instead of We have to think
common ones. outside the box.
Time for something or I think his time’s up as
Time’s up
someone has ended. the CEO.
To make contact with I will touch base with
Touch base
someone. you later today.
To convince someone My boss thought the
to do something that he budget was a little high,
Twist someone’s arm
or she does not want to so I had to twist his arm
do. to get him to agree to it.
Our international
Something is
Up in the air expansion plan is still
undecided or uncertain
up in the air.
Something that is Gaining market share
difficult to achieve in this country will be
Uphill battle
because of obstacles an uphill battle due to
and difficulties tough competition.
Upper hand To have more power Due to my experience,
 than anyone else and so I had the upper had in
have control the argument.
Something is given or
done by people talking Many local stores rely
Word of mouth about something or on word of mouth to
telling people about get new customers.
something