Eight Business English Idioms You Will Want To Use

In business English, just as in everyday conversation, we tend to use idioms often. They help us to convey ideas in quick, easy-to-understand manner. Here are eight idioms you will want to try out at work.

Business English idiom: Don't reinvent the wheel

1. Don’t reinvent the wheel

This one might bring an image to your mind of a giant old-fashioned cartwheel. Such as the ones used on carriages and carts that are pulled by horses. Nowadays, we usually see these in movies or as a fun tourist attraction.

2. Ahead of the curve

It can safely be said that all businesses want to be ahead of the curve. Why? Simply, because it means to be doing better than your competition, usually in innovation. During the pandemic, for instance, businesses who were already offering online delivery before Covid hit, were ahead of the curve compared to small businesses who quickly needed to setup online delivery for their clients.

3. Get the ball rolling

We get the ball rolling in business when we get a project started. Maybe the project has been in the discussion and planning stage, but then you start the first task on the action plan. Now, you have the ball rolling.

4. In the pipeline

To have something in the pipeline means to have something planned for a future date. For instance, the board might have approved the opening of five new branches. The CEO might say ‘the opening of five new branches on 1 September is in the pipeline’.

5. Back to the drawing board

If you need to go back to the drawing board, it means you’re starting over again with a completely new idea. As an example, the marketing department presented an idea for a digital ad campaign they have been working on. However, the team lead for marketing believes the target audience won’t like it and says, ‘you need to go back to the drawing board on this one and come up with some other options’.

6. Ballpark figure

A ballpark figure is an estimate of how much you think something may cost. In a real-world scenario, the CFO may ask the R&D department for a ballpark figure on how much the research phase of a product will cost.

7. Crunch the numbers

Accounts or finance departments are often called upon to ‘crunch the numbers’. In other words, to do detailed mathematical calculations or analyse financial figures. For example, if a company wants to know if they have enough budget for a sizeable project, they need to get one of their finance people to crunch the numbers and report back.

8. To hit the ground running

To hit the ground running means to start an activity with lots of energy. As an example, a manager might tell their team that when they get back from annual leave, they need to hit the ground running as there will be a lot of work to get through on their return to the office.

In summary, idioms convey ideas quickly without detailed explanation. Therefore, getting to know them is a valuable part of your English journey as you not only recognise them but start using some confidently in meetings and during business strategy sessions.

Discussion

Can you think of a company that is a good of example of an organisation who didn't reinvent the wheel?

When was a time you had to go back to the drawing board on something?

Is it okay to start a project on just a ballpark figure or should someone crunch the numbers first? Why?

When do you usually need to hit the ground running?

Which three idioms do you think are good ones to memorise and start using?