8 Useful business idioms and their curious origins

Why do we use so many idiomatic expressions in the English language? Because a picture paints a thousand words. I’m not referring to physical pictures, but to the images we visualise in our minds when we hear a figure of speech. Figurative expressions can be far more effective in communicating the nuances of a situation than literal speech. Their role in communication should not be underestimated; idioms have the power to express a shared culture, add humour or soften a negative statement. 

Which of the following statements do you find less antagonistic?

A: ‘You’re doing things in the wrong order.’

B: ‘You’re putting the cart before the horse.’

I’m sure we can all agree that option B is far more diplomatic.

Learners of English can often be at sea (confused) when it comes to understanding idioms. With over 25,000 in existence, they’re a fundamental element of the language and hugely important for understanding native speakers. An Italian student of mine is trying to watch ‘Peaky Blinders’ on Netflix without subtitles, but he says he can’t understand a word. No surprise – I happen to be watching it too and I counted 4 idioms in the space of 2 minutes. No matter how well you know your English grammar, if you haven’t learned any idioms, then you will find films and TV Series in English to be as clear as mud (totally unclear).

So what is the best approach to learning idiomatic expressions?

To understand their origins and cultural context. Idioms, by definition, are phrases which have a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words. Guessing the meaning is for the birds (useless) but by understanding where the expressions come from, learning and remembering them will be a piece of cake (easy).

8 Idioms commonly used in business and their origins:

1. Meet a deadline

Example: We’ll need to work at the weekend if we are going to meet the deadline.

Meaning: To finish something at the time it is meant to be finished.

Origin: This phrase originated during the American Civil War when prisoners were kept in camps that had no fencing. A line was drawn on the ground to indicate the area of confinement and if a prisoner crossed over the line, they were shot dead.

2. Show someone the ropes

Example: Can you show our new colleague the ropes?

Meaning: To explain how something is done.

Origin: This phrase has maritime origins in the 1800’s. New sailors had to be shown how the various ropes worked in order to control the sails and steer the ship.

3. Let the cat out of the bag

Example: He let the cat out of the bag before the CEO could make the official announcement about the takeover.

Meaning: To reveal a secret or confidential information.

Origin: In the 1700’s, piglets were sold in the street markets and placed in bags. A common scam was to replace the piglets with cats, which were less valuable. When a cat was let out of a bag, the fraud was revealed.

4. Pull out all the stops

Example: We have to pull out all the stops on this proposal; it’s for our most important client.

Meaning: To do everything you can to make something successful.

Origin: This phrase refers to the organ (an instrument like a piano, often seen in churches). When the ‘stops’ of the instrument are pulled out, it allows the organ to play all the sounds at the same time, which in turn makes the volume incredibly loud.

5. Hear on the grapevine

Example: I heard on the grapevine that his partner was thinking of selling his shares in the company.

Meaning: To indicate that a piece of information was obtained unofficially.

Origin: This phrase dates to 1840’s America and the invention of the telegraph which revolutionised long-distance communication. Prior to its invention, word-of-mouth was the primary method of communication throughout the community. While telegraph communication became referred to as ‘down the wire’, informal word-of-mouth communication became know as ‘on the grapevine’ – associating with poorer, rural communities who worked on the land. It compares the tendrils of the grapevine plant to the wire used in the electric telegraph.

6. Jump on the bandwagon

Example: All our competitors have already invested in A.I so it’s time we jumped on the bandwagon.

Meaning: To begin doing or supporting something after it has become popular or successful.

Origin: In the 19th century, a ‘bandwagon’ was a moving cart on which a band of musicians played in the streets, normally to promote a travelling circus. Politicians also used this technique during their campaigns to attract the attention of the voters.

7. Take it with a grain of salt

Example: He said the company was about to be declared bankrupt, but I’d take it with a grain of salt. 

Meaning: To accept what someone says while maintaining a degree of scepticism about its truth.

Origin: Dating back to 77AD in the Roman Empire, Pliny the Elder translated an ancient cure for poison, in which he stated that it be swallowed with ‘a grain of salt’. This implied that bad effects could be counteracted by a grain of salt.

8. Raise the bar

Example: The Director of Sales has really raised the bar on our targets for this year.

Meaning: To set more difficult goals or to increase the standards by which someone or something is judged.

Origin: This idiom comes from track and field sports. Both the High Jump and the Pole Vault use a bar to test an athlete’s ability. The higher the bar is set, the more difficult the exercise is.

To sum up, if you want to raise the bar for your English comprehension, you should pull out all the stops by jumping on the bandwagon and learning some idioms. I heard on the grapevine that doing this will make watching Netflix a piece of cake!

If you would like me to share some more idioms and their curious origins, please comment below.

Aisling Sullivan is a Business English Communications Coach based in Milan, Italy.