Essential Business English: Common Business Idioms Explained and Applied

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!