Business Idioms: 110+ Useful Business Idioms & Sayings

Business Idioms! Learn common business idioms and phrases with meaning and examples. List of useful business expressions, business sayings illustrated with ESL printable worksheets to improve your business communication skills.

An idiom is a phrase or an expression that has a figurative, or sometimes literal, meaning.

Business Idioms

Idioms for Making Decisions | Business Idioms

List of common business sayings and idioms for making decisions:

(Give Someone) Carte Blanche: Allow someone complete freedom; entrust a decision to someone
All Things Being Equal: In the event that all aspects of a situation remain the same
Up for Grabs: Available
On the Bubble: One of a group that may be selected for the last spot in a competition
All Told: With everything taken into consideration
All Things Considered: Taking all factors into consideration
Up in the Air: Not yet decided
Raise Red Flags: Warn of trouble ahead
Rubber-Stamp (v.): Approve something without consideration, as a formality
Take It or Leave It (command): You must decide now whether you will accept this proposal
Out of the Loop: Not part of a group that’s kept informed about something
On the Same Page: Understanding a situation in the same way
Hobson’s Choice: A choice among bad options
Flip-Flop (v. or n.): To vacillate between two choices, to be indecisive
Fish or Cut Bait (usually an exclamation): Make a decision or give someone else a chance
(Have One’s) Back Against the Wall: Have few choices, be cornered

Business Expressions and Idioms for Making Decisions | Business Idioms Image 1

Jobs Idioms | Business Idioms

List of useful business phrases and idioms about jobs in English:

Learn the Ropes: Become more familiar with a job or field of endeavor; be trained
Get the Sack, Be Sacked: To be fired
Off the Hook: Free from blame or responsibility to do something
Hanging by a Thread: In great danger of elimination or failure
Burn the Candle at Both Ends: Work very long hours
Rank and File: The ordinary members of an organization
Pink Slip: A layoff notice; loss of a job, typically because of layoffs
Out of Work: Unemployed
Move Up in the World: Become more successful
Give Someone The Old Heave-Ho: Fire someone, remove someone from a group or team
All In A Day’s Work (Excl.): That’s what I’m here for; although I have accomplished something, it is part of what I’m expected to do
Heads Will Roll (Are Going to Roll): People will be fired

Business sayings and idioms about jobs | Business idioms image 2

Finance Idioms | Business Idioms

List of business expressions and idioms about finance in English:

Banner Year: A year marked by strong successes
In the Red: Losing money; (of a market index) below a specified starting point
Nest Egg: Retirement savings; wealth saved for a future purpose
Crunch the Numbers: Do calculations before making a decision or prediction
You Can Take It to the Bank: I absolutely guarantee this
Have Skin in the Game: Be risking something in an undertaking
Poison Pill: A provision or feature added to a measure or an entity to make it less attractive, an undesirable add-on

Money Idioms | Business Idioms

List of important business phrases and idioms about money in English:

Nickel and Dime: To negotiate over very small sums; to try to get a better financial deal, in a negative way
A Penny Saved is A Penny Earned: Every small amount helps to build one’s savings
Pinch Pennies: To be careful with money, to be thrify
Pretty Penny: A lot of money; too much money (when referring to the cost of something)
Sticker Shock: Surprise at the high price of something
Cash-Strapped: In need of money
For a Song: At very low cost
Blank Check: Permission to spend or do whatever one wishes; carte blanche
Turn on a Dime: Quickly reverse direction or position
Nice Chunk of Change: A large amount of money
Give One’s Two Cents (That’s My Two Cents): Offer an opinion, suggest something
Honor System: A system of payments that relies on the honesty of those paying
Bang for Your Buck: Value for your money
Make Ends Meet: Have enough money to cover basic expenses
In For a Penny, In for a Pound: Committed to something even though the risks are increasing
Double-Dip: Improperly get income from two different sources
Feather One’s (Own) Nest: Use one’s influence or power improperly for financial gain
Take a Flyer: To take a rise; especially to make a speculative investment
Two a Penny: Ordinary, inexpensive
Ten a Penny: Ordinary, inexpensive
Pay Through the Nose (For Something): Pay a large amount of money
A Penny for Your Thoughts: What are you thinking?
Penny-Pinching: Frugal, avoiding expenses whenever possible
Pick Up the Tab: To pay a bill presented to a group, especially in a restaurant or bar
Bang for Your Buck: Value for money
Pass the Buck: Transfer a problem to someone else
(To Go) From Rags To Riches: Earn a fortune after being poor early in life
Flat Broke: Having no money at all
Deep Pockets: The new owner has deep pockets, so fans are hoping the football team will improve next year with new players
(A) Day Late and a Dollar Short: Too little, too late; both late and insufficient
(A) Dime a Dozen: Very cheap; easily obtained
Bet One’s Bottom Dollar (On Something): Be certain that something will happen
And Change: And an additional amount of money that’s less than the next round number
A Day Late And A Dollar Short: Too delayed and insignificant to have much effect

Useful Business Expressions and Idioms about Money | Business Idioms Image 3

Sales & Marketing Idioms | Business Idioms

List of common business phrases and idioms about sale and marketing in English:

All It’s Cracked Up To Be: As good as claims or reputation would suggest
Deliver the Goods: Provide what is expected
In the Pipeline: Being prepared for the marketplace, being worked on
Out the Door: With everything included (said of a price)
Price Yourself Out of the Market: Try to sell goods or services at such a high price that nobody buys them.
Sell (Someone) a Bill of Goods: Trick someone; be deceptive
Selling Point: An attractive feature of something for sale
Sold On (Something): Convinced of something
TLC: Tender Loving Care

Common business expressions and idioms about sales and marketing | Business Idioms Image 4

Negotiation Idioms | Business Idioms

List of English business expressions and idioms for negotiation:

Agreement In Principle: In a negotiation, an agreement in which not all details have been worked out
An Offer One Can’t Refuse: An extremely attractive offer
Back And Forth: Dialogue, negotiations
Come to Terms With (Something): Feel acceptance toward something bad that has happened
Draw a Line in the Sand: Issue an ultimatum; specify an absolute limit in a conflict
Drive a Hard Bargain: To negotiate effectively
Drive a Wedge Between: Try to split factions of a united group by introducing an issue on which they disagree
Give and Take: Negotiations, the process of compromise
Stand One’s Ground: Refuse to back down; insist on one’s position
Sweeten the Deal: Add something to an offer during a negotiation
Trial Balloon: A test of someone’s or the public’s reaction
Big Deal: An important event or accomplishment
Yes Man: The idiom “yes man” refers to a person who always agrees with others, especially with his or her boss.

Business phrases and idioms for negotiation | Business Idioms Image 5

Problem Idioms | Business Idioms

List of business sayings and idioms for problems and difficulties:

(An) Uphill Climb: A difficult process
(The) Last Straw: A problem or insult that finally demands a response
Above Water: Not in extreme difficulty. Especially said of finances
Come Out in the Wash: To be resolved with no lasting negative effect
Cut Corners: Economize by reducing quality; take shortcuts
In a Jam: In need of help, in a difficult spot
Cut the Gordian Knot: To solve a complex problem in a simple way
Get To Grips With: To begin to understand and deal with something
Head (Go) South: Decline, get worse
In Hot Water: In need of help; in trouble
Red Tape: Bureaucracy; difficult bureaucratic or governmental requirements
Start with a Clean Slate: To start (something) again with a fresh beginning; to work on a problem without thinking about what has been done before
Stumbling Block: An obstacle, physical or abstract
Think Outside the Box: Try to solve a problem in an original way; think creatively
Finger-Pointing: Blame; a situation within a group where each member attempts to blame others

Useful business phrases and idioms for problem solving | Business Idioms Image 6

Review Idioms | Business Idioms

List of common business expressions and idioms for review in English:

Mind One’s P’s and Q’s: Be attentive to details; be on one’s best behavior
All Over The Place: Everywhere; in many different locations
Read Between the Lines: Perceive what is not explicitly stated
Across The Board: In relation to all categories, for everyone
All Over The Board: Everywhere, in many different locations
All Over The Map: Everywhere; in many different locations

Schedule Idioms | Business Idioms

List of essential business phrases and idioms for scheduling in English:

Against The Clock: Forced to hurry to meet a deadline
Busman’s Holiday (UK): A working vacation
Burn the Midnight Oil: Working late into the night
Pencil Something In: Make tentative arrangements
Back to the Drawing Board: Forced to begin something again
Eleventh Hour: The last minute
In the Works: Under development; coming soon
(Do Something) By the Book: According to established procedure
Cut It Fine: To do something at the last moment
After The Fact: Too late; after something is completed or finalized
Sit On (Something): Delay revealing or acting on something
Back to the Salt Mines: It’s time for me (us) to go back to work
Take Five (Ten): Take a short break of five (ten) minutes
Thank God It’s Friday (TGIF): Let’s be happy that the workweek is over!
Kick the Can Down the Road: Postpone an important decision
(In the) Fullness of Time: Eventually, when appropriate; after you wait patiently
Call It a Day: Decide that one has worked enough on something for the day
Burn the Candle at Both Ends: To work too hard, with possible bad consequences for one’s health
Sneak Peek: A sneak peek is an opportunity to view something in advance of its official opening or debut
Ahead Of The Game: Making faster progress than anticipated; ahead of schedule
Crunch Time: A period of high pressure when one has to work hard to finish something
Business as Usual: A normal situation (whether related to business or not), typically restored after some change
You Snooze, You Lose: If you delay or are not alert, you will miss opportunities
On the Spur of the Moment: Without advance planning, spontaneously
Elevator Pitch: A brief presentation of an idea, one short enough to be delivered in an elevator
Back to Square One: Forced to begin something again
Right-Hand Man: Chief assistant
Ahead Of One’s Time: Offering ideas not yet in general circulation; highly creative
Think Tank: A group of experts engaged in ongoing studies of a particular subject; a policy study group

Common business expressions and idioms for business scheduling | Business Idioms Image 7

Leadership Idioms | Business Idioms

List of commonly used business expressions and idioms about leadership in English:

(The) Man: The boss; authority in general
Big Picture: A wide perspective; a broad view of something
Call the Shots: Make the important decisions in an organization
Changing of the Guard: A change in leadership at an organization
Movers and Shakers: Influential people, especially in a particular field
On Point: Good, well done, effective
Cut Someone Some Slack: Avoid treating someone strictly or severely
Light a Fire Under Someone: Inspire someone to work very hard
Rake Someone Over the Coals: Scold severely
Put Someone on the Spot: Force someone to answer a question or make a decision immediately
Ahead Of The Curve: Offering ideas not yet in general circulation; highly creative
Cut to the Chase: Get to the point; explain the most important part of something quickly; skip the preliminaries
Da Man (Slang): An accomplished or skillful person. Generally used in the compliment “”You da man!””
The Powers That Be: People in charge, often used when the speaker does not want to identify them.
After The Lord Mayor’s Show (UK): Anticlimactic; occurring after something impressive
(To Be at Someone’s) Beck And Call: To be under someone’s total command, to be forced to fulfill someone’s orders or whims
Too Many Chiefs and Not Enough Indians: Everyone wants to be a leader, and no one wants to do the actual work
(To) Cross All Your T’s And Dot All Your I’s: To take care of every detail, including the minor ones
A Little from Column A, a Little from Column B: A course of action drawing on several different ideas or possibilities

Common business sayings and idioms about leadership | Business Idioms Image 8

Deadline Idioms | Business Idioms

List of deadline idioms in English:

Burn the Midnight Oil: To work late into the night
Race Against Time: To rush to meet a deadline, to be forced to do something very quickly

Meeting Idioms | Business Idioms

List of meeting idioms in English:

Hit the Nail on the Head: To be absolutely correct (said of an utterance)
Take the Edge Off (of Something): To slightly improve something negative

Business Idioms Images

Business Idioms with Meaning | Image 1

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35 Common Business Idioms Video

Now you’re ready for your next English-language business meeting. The other participants will be saying, “Wow! That person speaks English like a native!”

English Idioms List