English in the workplace can sound very different from everyday English. You may hear people use expressions that don’t translate directly into your language, like “back to the drawing board” or “hit the ground running.” This kind of business English vocabulary is made up of idioms, expressions, and jargon that make workplace conversations more colorful — but also more confusing for ESL learners.
Idioms rarely translate well and can easily leave you scratching your head. That’s why this article focuses on American business English — the idioms and phrases you’ll hear most often in U.S. workplaces.
Here are 50 must-know idioms and phrases, organized by category, with simple explanations and a Quick Review list at the end of each section. These will help you understand conversations, join meetings with confidence, and expand your English business vocabulary.
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Idioms are expressions whose meanings are different from the individual words. You can’t always translate them directly into another language because their meanings are figurative, not literal.
For example, a coworker might say, “Let’s punt that idea for now.” If you’re not familiar with American football, the phrase “to punt” might sound unusual. In business, it means to postpone or delay action — much like kicking the ball down the field instead of taking action right away. Expressions like these are common in American workplaces and can be confusing when their meanings aren’t clear from the words themselves.
Idioms are a big part of business English vocabulary, especially in meetings, emails, and workplace conversations. Learning them will help you understand hidden meanings and sound more natural when speaking English at work.
Now that you know what idioms are, let’s look at some of the most common ones you’ll hear in the workplace.
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Money is a common topic in business, and it has its own idioms. A company that is losing money is said to be in the red, while a company making a profit is in the black. Leaders often care most about the bottom line, which means the final result or profit.
When costs are uncertain, people may ask for a ballpark number, or estimate. For example, a customer interested in replacing an air conditioner might ask for a ballpark number before making a decision. Some products are called a cash cow because they bring steady profit. If something is very expensive, it may cost an arm and a leg. And a nest egg is money saved for the future, often for retirement or investment.
Quick Review:
Meetings are famous for business jargon. To start, someone may say let's kick things off to begin or get down to brass tacks to focus on the important details. Colleagues may ask to keep me in the loop to receive updates. If time is short, the group might take this offline and talk later in private.
When a topic is complex, leaders may say let's unpack that to look at the details. Starting progress can be described as getting the ball rolling. To check in, coworkers often touch base. And if something must follow the rules exactly, it is done by the book.
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At work, people often use idioms to talk about hard work, progress, and solving problems. When you’re learning something new, they may mention the learning curve. In the case of a new employee who's ready to (or required to) contribute right away is said to hit the ground running.
If a plan doesn't work out, the team may have to go back to the drawing board. To save time or money, some might try to cut corners, but that usually hurts quality. Staying focused is called keeping your eye on the ball. Creative workers are encouraged to think outside the box.
When a decision helps everyone, it's known as a win-win situation. And of course, every project needs someone to call the shots and make the final decisions.
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Teamwork requires coordination and agreement. You may hear someone say let's align to check that everyone agrees, or let's brainstorm when it's time to share new ideas. Once the ideas are clear, managers will often delegate tasks to different people.
If a project isn't urgent, it might be put on the back burner until later. People who know what's going on are in the loop, while those left out are out of the loop. Good communication among team members can help everyone stay on the same page. But sometimes progress slows down because of red tape — too many rules or procedures.
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Career discussions are also full of idioms. Some workers feel blocked by a glass ceiling, an invisible barrier to promotion. Too much stress can lead to burnout.
If someone loses their job, they may get a pink slip. New employees go through onboarding to learn company rules. Companies track turnover, or how often staff leave. Ambitious workers hope to climb the corporate ladder, moving up step by step. Others may feel stuck in a dead-end job with no chance for promotion.
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Sales and customer service jobs also have their own workplace expressions. A sales pitch is what you say to persuade a customer to buy something. Sometimes you give a short elevator pitch, a quick way to explain a product or idea.
Managers often ask for buy-in, which means getting support from staff to follow a new policy or plan. A new product or service that changes everything for a company, almost always for the better, can be called a game changer.
In customer service, workers may ask for a ballpark figure if a customer wants an estimate. And to make customers happy, businesses sometimes sweeten the deal by adding something extra, like free delivery or a discount.
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Some workplace expressions come from technology or data, while others are general business terms. Today, they're used in many industries. If you don't have enough time, you might say you lack bandwidth.
Teams often leverage resources, meaning they use them to their advantage. Analysts may drill down into details, and a company that can grow easily is called scalable. In casual talk, coworkers may say ping me for a quick message. Companies also track KPIs — key performance indicators — which are numbers that show if they're meeting goals.
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Learning business English, or English in general, takes time, and feeling confused by idioms is completely normal. Even fluent English speakers from outside the U.S., or from different industries, sometimes have to pause and figure out what a saying means. The key is to keep listening, practicing, and noticing how these phrases are used in everyday conversations.
Over time, you’ll start to see patterns—the same idioms appearing in meetings, emails, and casual chats with coworkers. Soon, you’ll understand them naturally and feel more confident using them yourself.
If you’d like to keep improving your English for work, school, or daily life, ReDefiners’ Adult English Classes are a great next step. They’re designed to help you build real-world skills and feel more comfortable speaking English in any situation.
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