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[8:31] Essential Business English: Common Business Idioms Explained and Applied

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This article provides explanations and practical applications of common business English idioms, covering meetings, negotiations, presentations, and daily workplace communication, helping learners enhance their business communication skills.

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Business idioms part four. Welcome to our final business idioms lesson. Let's see if you can guess what these expressions mean from the context. Choose the option that you think is the best definition for the idiom and then keep watching to find out if you are correct. Number one, I'm glad we've been able to finalize the packaging. Let's call it a day and we'll discuss pricing tomorrow. Does call it a day mean a telephone some co-workers, b, decide to end the day's work, or c, choose a name for something. The correct answer is b, decide to end the day's work. Let's call it a day is an informal way to say let's finish today's work. It is often used when there will be more work to continue tomorrow, but you are deciding to stop today. Number two, the social media campaign had no impact whatsoever. It was two months of effort down the drain. Does down the drain mean a in the past, b very stressful, or c wasted or lost? The correct answer is c, wasted or lost. A drain is a hole where water from your sink or shower goes away and out of your house. If you accidentally drop a small object like a ring down the drain, it will be lost. So if money, time, or resources go down the drain, it means they are wasted and do not produce any effect.

Number three, we should release a small product to test the waters before developing an entire line. Does test the waters mean a, get people excited, b, make some money, or c, try something to see if it will succeed. The correct answer is c, try something to see if it will succeed. This expression is often used for a small experiment to see if it's a good idea to go ahead with a larger project in the same area. Number four, there's not much room for creativity in my work because the manager likes everything to be done by the book. Does by the book mean a, following the rules exactly, b, in written format, or c, with a lot of research? The correct answer is a, following the rules exactly. A person who does things by the book is someone who follows the rules exactly and does not permit or accept anything that is slightly different or against the rules.

Number five, you're suggesting that we cancel the conference, that will never fly. It's the CEO's favorite event of the year. Does that will never fly mean a, it won't be simple, b, it won't be profitable, or c, it won't work or won't be accepted. The correct answer is c, saying something will never fly means you are certain that it won't work or won't be accepted or approved by someone else. Number six, the price was the biggest obstacle to the sale. Once we offered a discount, the rest of the negotiation was smooth sailing. Does smooth sailing mean a, a team effort, b, easy and quick progress, or c, something creative? The correct answer is b, easy and quick progress. If you're on a sailboat and the ocean water is calm and smooth, you will have an easy and pleasant journey, so the expression smooth sailing refers to any project or process that runs easily and well.

Number seven, we're promoting four different products at the same time. It doesn't seem like everyone on the marketing team is on the same page. Does on the same page mean a, talking to each other, b, thinking in a similar way, or c, visiting the same websites? The correct answer is b, thinking in a similar way. If everyone reading a book is reading the same page, then they will all be focused on the same topic with the same understanding. On the same page is used in general for people thinking along similar lines or with similar ideas. Number eight, I'm applying for a director level position, but it's a long shot since I don't have as much experience as they want. Does a long shot mean a, a long time in the future, b, hard to understand, or c, unlikely to succeed? The correct answer is c. If something is a long shot, it's possible that it will succeed, but the chance is very low. Number nine, the proposed dates for the summer sale are June 20th to 30th, but it's not set in stone. Does it not set in stone mean a, not a good idea, b, not confirmed or definite, or c, not sure to succeed? The correct answer is b, not confirmed or definite. If you carve some letters into a stone, it is a very permanent record, different from something like pencil on paper, which can be easily erased and changed. If something is not set in stone, it means it is not definite. It could be changed.

Number 10, all my coworkers get along so well, I don't want to rock the boat by making a complaint. Does rock the boat mean a, cause trouble, b, call attention to myself, or c, offend someone? The correct answer is a, cause trouble. If you're in a small boat and you start rocking it, moving your weight from side to side, the boat will become unstable. The expression rock the boat means to create problems or trouble in what was previously a calm situation. Number 11, everyone else on my team has been slacking off so that means more work for me. Does slacking off mean a, away from the office, b, being lazy, or c, delaying projects? The correct answer is b, being lazy. Someone who is slacking off is not fulfilling their responsibilities, they are being lazy and not doing what they are supposed to do. Number 12, these photos are too dark and out of focus, they don't do justice to the quality of the product. Does don't do justice to mean a, slightly decrease, b, don't like, or c, don't represent fairly? The correct answer is c, don't represent fairly. If something usually a picture or words doesn't do justice to something else, it means it doesn't represent it accurately. This is usually used when the real thing is much better than the description or picture would imply. You finished lesson 39, now take the quiz to put these expressions into practice and come back tomorrow for your final progress test.

This is the collection from Qicai website editor Xiao Wu about business English listening materials related to presentations, meetings, negotiations, and phone calls. We hope you gain some insights after listening!

Listening Comprehension

  • drain

    noun

    1. emptying something accomplished by allowing liquid to run out of it

    Synonym: drainage

    2. a gradual depletion of energy or resources

    e.g. a drain on resources
    a drain of young talent by emigration

    3. a pipe through which liquid is carried away

    Synonym: drainpipewaste pipe

    4. tube inserted into a body cavity (as during surgery) to remove unwanted material

  • represent

    verb

    1. to establish a mapping (of mathematical elements or sets)

    Synonym: map

    2. bring forward and present to the mind

    e.g. We presented the arguments to him
    We cannot represent this knowledge to our formal reason

    Synonym: presentlay out

    3. point out or draw attention to in protest or remonstrance

    e.g. our parents represented to us the need for more caution

    4. express indirectly by an image, form, or model
    be a symbol

    e.g. What does the Statue of Liberty symbolize?

    Synonym: typifysymbolizesymbolisestand for

    5. describe or present, usually with respect to a particular quality

    e.g. He represented this book as an example of the Russian 19th century novel

    6. serve as a means of expressing something

    e.g. The flower represents a young girl

    7. create an image or likeness of

    e.g. The painter represented his wife as a young girl

    Synonym: interpret

    8. perform (a play), especially on a stage

    e.g. we are going to stage `Othello'

    Synonym: stagepresent

    9. play a role or part

    e.g. Gielgud played Hamlet
    She wants to act Lady Macbeth, but she is too young for the role
    She played the servant to her husband's master

    Synonym: actplay

    10. be a delegate or spokesperson for
    represent somebody's interest or be a proxy or substitute for, as of politicians and office holders representing their constituents, or of a tenant representing other tenants in a housing dispute

    e.g. I represent the silent majority

    11. be representative or typical for

    e.g. This period is represented by Beethoven

    12. be the defense counsel for someone in a trial

    e.g. Ms. Smith will represent the defendant

    Synonym: defend

    13. form or compose

    e.g. This money is my only income
    The stone wall was the backdrop for the performance
    These constitute my entire belonging
    The children made up the chorus
    This sum represents my entire income for a year
    These few men comprise his entire army

    Synonym: constitutemake upcomprisebe

    14. take the place of or be parallel or equivalent to

    e.g. Because of the sound changes in the course of history, an 'h' in Greek stands for an 's' in Latin

    Synonym: stand forcorrespond

    15. be characteristic of

    e.g. This compositional style is exemplified by this fugue

    Synonym: exemplify

  • definite

    adj

    1. known for certain

    e.g. it is definite that they have won

    2. precise
    explicit and clearly defined

    e.g. I want a definite answer
    a definite statement of the terms of the will
    a definite amount
    definite restrictions on the sale of alcohol
    the wedding date is now definite
    a definite drop in attendance

  • experiment

    noun

    1. the act of conducting a controlled test or investigation

    Synonym: experimentation

    2. a venture at something new or different

    e.g. as an experiment he decided to grow a beard

    3. the testing of an idea

    e.g. it was an experiment in living
    not all experimentation is done in laboratories

    Synonym: experimentation

  • obstacle

    noun

    1. an obstruction that stands in the way (and must be removed or surmounted or circumvented)

    2. something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted

    e.g. lack of imagination is an obstacle to one's advancement
    the poverty of a district is an obstacle to good education
    the filibuster was a major obstruction to the success of their plan

    Synonym: obstruction

  • progress

    noun

    1. gradual improvement or growth or development

    e.g. advancement of knowledge
    great progress in the arts

    Synonym: advancement

    2. the act of moving forward (as toward a goal)

    Synonym: progressionprocessionadvanceadvancementforward motiononward motion

    3. a movement forward

    e.g. he listened for the progress of the troops

    Synonym: progressionadvance

  • unstable

    adj

    1. subject to change
    variable

    e.g. a fluid situation fraught with uncertainty
    everything was unstable following the coup

    Synonym: fluid

    2. affording no ease or reassurance

    e.g. a precarious truce

    Synonym: precarious

    3. highly or violently reactive

    e.g. sensitive and highly unstable compounds

    4. disposed to psychological variability

    e.g. his rather unstable religious convictions

    5. suffering from severe mental illness

    e.g. of unsound mind

    Synonym: mentally illunsound

    6. lacking stability or fixity or firmness

    e.g. unstable political conditions
    the tower proved to be unstable in the high wind
    an unstable world economy

  • finalize

    verb

    1. make final
    put the last touches on
    put into final form

    e.g. let's finalize the proposal

    Synonym: finalisesettlenail down

  • creativity

    noun

    1. the ability to create

    Synonym: creativenesscreative thinking

  • responsibilities