Business Idioms

Scrambled Eggs Scuola di Inglese welcomes you to our blog! We have been teaching English in a beautiful location next to the Navigli for many years now, and we know that if a student would really like to progress with their language it is essential that they do regular study at home as well as in the classroom. We hope you like the business blog below and you can make a habit of practicing a little at home every day!

Good English skills are like a one-way ticket to success in the world of work. They can take you all over the world, or just help you find the job that you want.

Business English, in particular, will give you a lot of advantages!

Try the quizzes below and test your knowledge of common business English idioms.
Find out more about our Business English courses here.

Business Idioms I

Fill the empty spaces with the correct business idioms.

Business Idioms II

Fill the empty spaces with the correct business idioms.

 

Well done! You’ve taken the time out of your busy schedule to improve your skills – we hope it was enjoyable as well as useful for you! By following this link you can find many more of our resources: https://scrambledeggsinglese.it/english-exercises/. For more ideas, take a look at our Instagram. We hope to see you at our English school in Milan soon!

Idioms – English Language Exercise

Have you bitten off more than you can chew by learning English? Are you in over your head?
These phrases may be confusing because they are idioms! You may have noticed similar phrases in a book, or spoken on television, or probably even as a lyric in a song. An idiom is a phrase that doesn’t make sense when translated literally, but has a figurative meaning. They are often used to add imagery to a description. They are a favorite of many writers and musicians because they create opportunities for creative word play. Most languages have idioms, and some of them are shared, can you think of any in your native language?

After this lesson you will find idioms a piece of cake! Unfortunately, there are many of them and each one will have to be learned separately. If you want to be fluent in English you will just have to bite the bullet, there’s no way to cut corners here. Hopefully, learning these idioms is like riding a bicycle because they are each unique and time flies while you think of the meaning for each of them. If you haven’t noticed I’m in my element as I’m writing these though they may drive some people up the wall. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Idioms Quiz

Match the idiom with its meaning.

 

5 More Interesting Classic British Idioms

Do you want to spice up your English with some idiomatic expressions that will make you sound more like a native speaker? Then look no further and consider these classic British idioms. They follow our series of idioms from before and there are some real classics here. Enjoy!

Treading on thin ice

“I was late again to work today. I think I’m treading on thin ice with my boss at the moment!”

Here is a very common idiom that means you are in great danger with your current path. Imagine a frozen lake with a very thin sheet of ice on the top. Now imagine walking across that thin ice knowing that at any moment you might fall into the freezing water. Be careful as you’re treading on thin ice!

 

Get off your high horse

“I know you think you’re too good to play with us, but get off your high horse and get involved!”

If someone thinks they are very smart or very good at something, sometimes they act in a very arrogant and dismissive way. If this happens then tell them to get off their high horse and start being more humble! For this idiom I always imagine a cowboy or sheriff on a big tall horse thinking he’s better than everyone else.

 

Making a mountain out of a molehill

“Sorry I lost your pen, but don’t make a mountain out of a molehill!”

This idiom is used for when someone makes a big problem out of something that is really a small problem. Consider the difference in size between a mountain and a molehill. A molehill is a tiny little hill no higher than your ankle, whereas a mountain is hundreds of meters tall! If someone is making a small problem seem like a really big one, then try using this one on them.

Putting the cat amongst the pigeons

“He’s moving from Milan to Inter? That will put the cat amongst the pigeons for sure!”

We use this when we want to say that an action will cause a stir, mayhem and pandemonium. For this one try to imagine a room full of pigeons and then letting a cat into the room. Can you imagine the chaos?!

Bob’s your uncle!

“…add two spoons of sugar and bob’s your uncle, you’ve got a perfect cup of tea”

This is a classic. Nobody knows who Bob is but his name is famous because of this idiom. We use the expression as a way to finish instructions. After giving the instructions you can use this to say everything will be done and ready!

How well did you understand these idioms? Find out below with our quiz

Interesting Idioms Quiz

How well do you know the idioms above? Try this quiz to find out