People use idioms and slang to make their language more descriptive or funny, or to make a point. People use idioms and slang very often – in face-to-face conversations, phone conversations, emails, texts, reports, and instant messages. When you are working at a job, you will probably hear co-workers, supervisors, and customers use these expressions. It is important for you to try to understand what someone really means when they use an idiom or slang.
Here are just a few reasons why it is important to try to understand the meaning behind idioms and slang:
Listed below are some idioms and slang that you might encounter at work. There are hundreds of other idioms that you can also learn about on the internet.
11th hour |
Right before the deadline; time is almost up (12 is the deadline) |
“We finished cleaning that house at the 11th hour, just before the renters came in.” |
A day late and a dollar short |
Too late and not enough |
“We are a day late and a dollar short because no customers want to buy this older cell phone model.” |
A fresh pair of eyes |
A new and different perspective |
“We need a fresh pair of eyes on this project because we have been working on it for too long.” |
A piece of cake |
Easy, uncomplicated |
“I can build these easy models in 10 minutes—this job is a piece of cake!” |
Accident waiting to happen |
An arrangement that might result in damage or injury |
“Stop stacking those boxes so high—that is an accident waiting to happen.” |
All ears |
Ready to listen and pay attention |
“Go ahead and explain it to me, I am all ears.” |
All work and no play |
The focus is on work, and there is no opportunity for fun |
“We cannot chat at work at all because our boss is all work and no play.” |
Arm’s length |
At a distance equal to the length of an arm; not close to physically |
“I should stand an arm’s length away from someone when talking to them.” |
Arm’s length |
Not emotionally close to; apart or away from |
“You should keep her at arm’s length because she cannot be trusted.” |
A.S.A.P. |
Stands for As Soon As Possible; top priority, needs to be done now |
“I need to finish cleaning those rooms A.S.A.P.!” |
Back burner |
A lower priority; not as important right now |
“Let’s put that task on the back burner until we finish these more important tasks.” |
Back to square one |
Return to the beginning; starting over |
“Our plan did not work at all, so now we are back to square one.” |
Bad mouth |
Talk about in a negative way; gossip |
“It hurts my feelings when a co-worker bad mouths me to their friend.” |
Bang up job |
An excellent job; good work |
“His boss was so happy with him because he did a bang up job yesterday.” |
Beat around the bush |
Avoid saying or doing something; to delay |
“Don’t beat around the bush, just tell me why you are upset.” |
Beat the clock |
Finish in time; finish before the deadline |
“You are going to have to hurry if you want to beat the clock.” |
Beating a dead horse |
Talking about an idea or issue too much or too long |
“We need to stop beating a dead horse because we have already talked about this and made a decision.” |
Behind closed doors |
In private, confidential |
“You should talk to him about this behind closed doors because customers should not hear it.” |
Bend over backwards |
Try very hard to please someone |
“Sometimes, you have to bend over backwards to make customers happy.” |
Bent out of shape |
Upset, frustrated, stressed |
“The customer was bent out of shape because he had to wait in line for 15 minutes.” |
Big fish |
The boss; the person in charge |
“Kelly is the big fish in this department, so we need to listen to her.” |
Bite off more than you can chew |
To take on more work than you can handle |
“Don’t bite off more than you can chew by offering to repair all 27 of those hard drives. “ |
Bite someone’s head off |
To yell at someone suddenly |
“If I don’t get some sleep later, I am going to bite someone’s head off!” |
Bite the bullet |
To accept, face, or deal with the consequences |
“You are just going to have to bite the bullet and apologize for that mistake.” |
Bite your tongue |
Keep your thoughts to yourself |
“Bite your tongue and don’t argue with your supervisor.” |
Bounce ideas |
To take turns sharing ideas with each other |
“Let’s all have a meeting so we can bounce ideas around.” |
Brainstorm |
When two or more people develop a solution or idea together |
“Let’s brainstorm a new way to organize these books.” |
Break even |
Not making money and not losing money |
“I pretty much broke even after I received my $500 paycheck and then paid my $450 rent.” |
Bring home the bacon |
Bring home money; to get paid; bring home a paycheck |
“If you want to buy a new car, you need to bring home the bacon.” |
Broke |
Having no money, poor |
“I am broke because I spent my entire paycheck on video games.” |
Brown nose |
Flatter someone in effort to gain favor or advantage |
“My co-worker is such a brown nose, he is always trying to tell the boss how great she is.” |
Brownie points |
Recognition or favor by the boss |
“I am going to work late this week and try to get some brownie points from my supervisor.” |
Buckle down |
Get focused, start working; get the job done |
“You need to buckle down and finish this assignment!” |
Burn the candle at both ends |
Working too hard, for too long, and on too many things |
“He is burning the candle at both ends by working here during the day and then waiting tables at night.” |
Burn your bridges |
End a relationship in a bad way with no chance of repairing it. |
“If you quit without giving any notice to your boss, you will burn your bridges there.” |
Burning the midnight oil |
Working late into the night |
“I have been burning the midnight oil lately in order to get this project done on time.” |
Business as usual |
Same as always; no change in the routine; what is expected |
“Even though the weather was really bad, it was business as usual for the landscaping company.” |
Call it a day |
Time to go home, the end of the workday |
“It is 6pm and I have wrapped all the boxes, so let’s call it a day.” |
Call the shots |
In charge, makes the final decisions |
“My supervisor calls the shots on how we should store the data.” |
Canned |
Fired, removed from the job |
“She was canned because yelled at her boss.” |
Chill out |
Relax, take a break; calm down |
“Today has been really stressful, so I need to just go home and chill out.” |
Climb the corporate ladder |
Move up, advanced, get promoted in a company |
“After working here for 6 years, I am finally starting to climb the corporate ladder.” |
Close up shop |
Close a business at the end of the day |
“It’s 5pm and so it’s time to close up shop for the day. “ |
Cost an arm and a leg |
Costs a large amount of money |
“There is no way I can afford those tickets, they cost an arm and a leg!” |
Crunch time |
A time interval before a deadline where you must work really hard to complete something |
“The project is due tomorrow, so it’s crunch time.” |
Dead weight |
Someone who is a burden; someone who cannot or does not do their job correctly |
“He never finishes his part of the project, so I feel like he is just dead weight that we have to carry.” |
Dirty work |
Harder, tougher , unpleasant work |
“Everyone else left, so I had to do the dirty work of moving all of the tables and chairs back to the closet.” |
Dog eat dog world |
A competitive, tough environment |
“I need to apply and interview for many jobs, because it is a dog eat dog world out there.” |
Done deal |
A deal or agreement that has been made; the issue has been decided |
“It’s a done deal, I have already accepted that job offer.” |
Dot your i’s and cross your t’s |
Include all necessary details; carefully check for any mistakes |
“You should dot your i’s and cross your t’s before you turn that report in to the boss. “ |
Down to the wire |
Just before the deadline; right before time is up |
“We were working down to the wire in order to get the products mailed out in time.” |
Drag your feet |
Move slowly or hesitate; resist or avoid something |
“Don’t drag your feet, just go out there and load those crates.” |
Drop someone a line |
Call someone by phone |
“I will drop him a line later on today after I read his report.” |
Elbow grease |
Hard work, effort |
“It’s going to take some serious elbow grease to get all of these plants loaded.” |
Face the music |
Face the consequences |
“I know I messed up, and now I am going to have to face the music.” |
For your eyes only |
Confidential; for no-one else to see |
“Those private medical records are for your eyes only.” |
Front burner |
A higher priority; a task that should be completed soon or now |
“Put that task on the front burner because the store opens in only 2 hours.” |
Get a grip |
Relax, calm down, focus on what is important |
“I need to get a grip and stop worrying about that game.” |
Get the ax |
Get fired |
“He will get the ax if he keeps showing up to work late.” |
Get the boot |
Get fired |
“She might get the boot if she is rude to the customers.” |
Get the hang of it |
Starting to understand how to do something; learning something new |
“Don’t worry, you will get the hang of it after you practice several times.” |
Get the pink slip |
Get fired |
“I am worried that I might get the pink slip if I miss work again.” |
Get the sack |
Get fired |
“You will get the sack if you steal the company’s property.” |
Go with the flow |
Accept the situation without argument or resistance; follow the lead of other people |
“Just try to go with the flow and accept that your schedule might change sometimes.” |
Got a case of the Mondays |
In a bad mood because it’s not the weekend anymore |
“I have got a case of the Mondays and I do not want to clean today.” |
Green |
New, inexperienced |
“She just started working here yesterday, so she’s still pretty green.” |
Hammer out the problems |
Solve the problems |
“We need to hammer out the problems before we can even begin to create a new system.” |
Have a lot of my plate |
Very busy, too much to do |
“I have a lot on my plate right now, so I don’t think I can make it to the movies tonight.” |
Have my hands full |
Very busy, too much to do |
“I have my hands full with working full time, going to school, and taking care of my pets. “ |
Hit the ground running |
Start working on something immediately; start a task without hesitation |
“I need to hit the ground running if I want to finish this project before the weekend.” |
Hump day |
Wednesday; the middle of the work week |
“It’s hump day, only two more days until the weekend!” |
In over my head |
Overwhelmed, confused |
“I feel like I am in over my head in this job—I need some help.” |
In stock |
In the store; available for use and/or purchase |
“We do have that item in stock right now, let me go get it for you.” |
In the black |
Earning money, making profits |
“I think we might get a raise this month because the company is in the black.” |
In the loop |
Aware of something; involved with what is going on |
“She will be mad if we don’t keep her in the loop because she is a part of our team.” |
In the red |
Losing money, in debt; in trouble financially |
“I am worried that we all might lose our jobs because this company is in the red.” |
In the swing of things |
Get involved, focused, active |
“It might be hard for me to get back in the swing of things after being on vacation for a week.” |
In the weeds |
In trouble, overwhelmed |
“Five tables are ready to order, two tables need their checks, and I have four tables to clean—I am in the weeds!” |
It’s not the end of the world |
It will be okay; everything will be alright; it’s not that bad |
“Hey, it’s not the end of the world if I forget to bring my lunch one day.” |
Jump the gun |
Start too quickly |
“Don’t jump the gun and buy more paper before we even know how much paper we need!” |
Jump through hoops |
Work very hard and do many things to please someone |
“Sometimes, you have to jump through hoops to make customers happy.” |
Keep something under wraps |
Keep something private, hidden, confidential |
“Let’s keep this under wraps until our supervisor has had a chance to look it over.” |
Keep your eye on the prize |
Stay focused on the goal |
“Just keep your eye on the prize and try not to get distracted by other things.” |
Kiss up |
Flatter in effort to gain favor, attention, and privileges |
“Sometimes, I have to kiss up to my customers a little if I want them to buy these products.” |
Make a living |
To earn money so you can bill your bills, buy food, and take care of other needs and wants |
“It is time for me to get a job so I can make a living.” |
Make cold calls |
Contact people (usually customers) by phone who you do not know |
“In this sales job, I spend most of my time making cold calls to potential customers.” |
Make up your mind |
Make a decision |
“Please make up your mind about this project so I know what to do next.” |
Marching orders |
Get fired |
“She received her marching orders after her boss found out what happened.” |
Mix business with pleasure |
To combine personal/social activities with work activities; to engage in personal/social relationships while at work |
“It is not a good idea to mix business with pleasure, so you should not ask that co-worker out on a date.” |
Newbie |
A new person on the job |
“I am a newbie, so I don’t know where the copy machine is located yet.” |
Nine to five |
A job the occurs during the traditional workday (9am-5pm); when most businesses operate |
“I am tired of working nights and weekends, I just want a nine to five.” |
Nothing ventured, nothing gained |
If you don’t try something, you will never know if you might have succeeded; don’t be afraid to try |
“Even though I might not get this job, I am going to apply anyway—nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?” |
Off the hook |
Free from responsibility, obligation, or blame |
“Don’t worry, the boss found out who really made the mistake, so you are off the hook.” |
Off the hook |
Really good, fun, cool, interesting, or new |
“Their new album is off the hook!” |
On his/her bad side |
Out of someone’s favor; they are not happy with you or do not like you |
“You don’t want to get on her bad side because she has a lot of power in this office.” |
On his/her good side |
In someone’s favor; they are happy with you and they like you |
“I need to stay on her good side because she has a lot of power in this office.” |
On the dot |
At an exact time, not a minute later |
“You need to finish that job by 10am on the dot.” |
On the fence |
Unsure, undecided |
“I am on the fence about this—I don’t know which job offer to accept.” |
On the other hand |
As another option; an alternative |
“You could buy this system; on the other hand, you might want to consider this handheld device instead.” |
Pass the buck |
Put the blame or responsibility on someone else |
“Just take responsibility for what happened and don’t try to pass the buck to someone else.” |
Pick up the slack |
Take responsibility or action when others cannot |
“I don’t want to have to pick up the slack when he does not do his job correctly.” |
Pull a few strings |
Use connections, power, or advantages to get something done |
“My old teacher might be able to pull a few strings and help me get that job.” |
Pull your weight |
Do your fair share; take responsibility |
“You need to pull your weight because this is a team, and we have to get this job done together.” |
Pull yourself up by your boot straps |
Rely on yourself to make things better or to get the job done |
“I had to pull myself up by my bootstraps after I lost my job.” |
Put our heads together |
Think about an idea/issue together; develop a solution together |
“Let’s put our heads together and try to figure out what is wrong with this computer.” |
Put pen to paper |
Start writing; begin working |
“I need to stop talking about this idea and just put pen to paper.” |
Quick study |
A fast learner |
“You are a quick study —you learned how to use this software in just one hour.” |
R. and R. |
Stands for rest and relaxation; a vacation or break from work |
“I need some serious R and R after the tough month that I have had. “ |
Reality check |
A reminder of what is realistic; a review of what really happened |
“He needs a reality check—he is never going to be the supervisor of this store.” |
Roll up your sleeves |
Start working; do the task; get it done |
“Ok, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and finish this work.” |
Rundown |
Quick summary; explanation |
“Ok, please give me a rundown on what happened at yesterday’s meeting.” |
Scale back hours |
Decrease hours |
“I might need to scale back my hours here if I have to take 2 classes next semester.” |
Shape up or ship out |
Start doing what you are supposed to do, or leave |
“That guy has a really bad attitude, so his boss told him to shape up or ship out.” |
Show someone the ropes |
Teach someone how to do something |
“My co-worker showed me the ropes, and now I feel much more confident about this job.” |
Spread too thin |
Trying to do too many things at time so that you cannot properly devote your time to everything |
“He took on too many tasks and now he is spread too thin.” |
Stamp of approval |
Expression of agreement or approval |
“I am happy because when I explained my idea to the boss, I got her stamp of approval!” |
Start from scratch |
Start from the very beginning |
“We did not set up these tables correctly, so now we have to start from scratch.” |
Start off on the right foot |
Make a good first impression |
“I want to make sure that I start off on the right foot with all of my new co-workers by being friendly and helpful.” |
Start off on the wrong foot |
Make a bad first impression |
“I started off on the wrong foot with my co-worker by asking him how much money he makes.” |
Step on it |
Hurry up, move quickly |
“I was running late to work, so I asked the cab driver to step on it.” |
Suck it up |
Accept something without complaining about it |
“I am going to have to suck it up and accept the fact that not everyone in my office listens to music that I like.” |
Sugarcoat |
Make something seem more pleasant or positive than it actually is |
“Don’t sugarcoat the issue, just tell him exactly what he did wrong.” |
Take someone under your wing |
Help someone by showing them how to do something; showing support to someone |
“She was really nice because she took me under her wing and helped me understand how to do this job.” |
T.G.I.F. |
Stands for Thank God It’s Friday, or stands for Thank Goodness It’s Friday; the weekend is almost here and the work week is almost over |
“T.G.I.F.—I am so ready to sleep in tomorrow morning.” |
T.M.I. |
Stands for Too Much Information; the information shared was too personal and inappropriate |
“When he told me all about his stomach problems, that was T.M.I.!” |
The big picture |
The larger, complete understanding of a situation |
“I need to see the big picture here and not just focus on all of the little details.” |
The clock is ticking |
Time is running out; the deadline is approaching |
“Ok everyone, you need to fill these orders before 5pm, the clock is ticking.” |
Think outside of the box |
Think creatively or differently than usual |
“Let’s think outside of the box. I am tired of hearing the same old ideas.” |
Throw cold water over |
End, stop, or disagree with someone else’s idea |
“I made a different suggestion, but he threw cold water over it.” |
Under the weather |
Feeling ill, sick |
“I am feeling under the weather and so I might have to call in sick today.” |
Up-to-date |
Current, recent information |
“I need up-to-date information on how to place these orders for my customers.” |
Wear many hats |
Have many jobs, roles, or responsibilities |
“I wear many hats in this job—I greet customers, repair parts, answer phones, and check billing records.” |
What’s up? |
What is going on?
Hello! |
“Hey, what’s up? I have not seen you in so long!” |
Win-win situation |
A positive outcome for all people involved; everyone “wins” |
“This is a win-win situation because I will get to work more hours, and my boss gets to have his weekends off.” |
Wishy-washy |
Indecisive, unsure, uncertain |
“Don’t be so wishy-washy about this, just pick one side of the argument.” |
Woke up on the wrong side of the bed |
In a bad mood, irritated, cranky |
“I am sorry that I was rude, I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.” |
Word of mouth |
When information is spread by talking, rather than through written words/advertisements |
“Customers have learned about our restaurant through word of mouth only.” |
Work fingers to the bone |
Work very hard |
“I have been working my fingers to the bone on this project.” |
Work like a dog |
Work very hard |
I’ve been working like a dog. I’m going to sleep well tonight! |
If someone uses an idiom and you don’t understand what they mean, it is okay to ask them for clarification. You can say something like, “I’m not sure I understand what you mean. Can you please explain?”
