The document provides a collection of American business idioms commonly used in the workplace, along with definitions and examples for better understanding. It emphasizes the importance of idioms in communication and offers insights on how to effectively apply them in a business environment. The content is proprietary to Synbiz Solutions Pvt Ltd and is intended for informational and educational purposes.

1. Business English American
idioms
By VanSight

2. COPYRIGHT 2009 VANSIGHT division of
Synbiz Solutions Pvt Ltd
 No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or for
any purpose without the express permission of VanSight Division of Synbiz
Solutions Pvt Ltd. The information contained herein may be changed without prior
notice.
 VanSight is trademark of Synbiz Solutions Pvt Ltd. All other product and service
names mentioned and associated logos displayed are the trademarks of their
respective companies.
 Data contained in this document serves informational and educational purposes
only. The information in this document is proprietary to Synbiz Solutions Pvt Ltd.
 This product contains training material for English or Soft Skills or Personality
Development. Synbiz assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in this
document. Synbiz does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of the
information, text, graphics, links, or other items contained within this material.
This document is provided without a warranty of any kind, either express or
implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of
merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.
2

3. Introduction
 For better or worse, the American workplace is full of
idioms, which are used everyday. Here are some idioms
you're likely to encounter in the workplace. To help you
decipher what they may mean, VanSight has collected a list
of some of the most common of them.
 Here we will put in plain words so as you can apply them in
business environment.
3

4. Make it
Example: I am going to make it in this quarter. it here
means his target
Meaning: to be successful, specially in a job
4

5. Be ahead of the pack
Example: this month I would be the employee of the month
as I am ahead of the pack.
Meaning: more successful than others who is trying to
achieve the same like you.
5

6. Corner the market
Example: with the new service our company captured corner of
the market.
Meaning: to be successful in selling or marketing a product or
service which in nearly a monopoly. very few people sell the
same
6

7. At a premium
Example: When LCD televisions first came out, they were
selling at a premium.
Meaning: at a high price; at a relatively high price
7

8. Back-of-the-envelope calculations
Example: I don't need the exact numbers right now. Just give
me some back-of-the-envelope calculations.
Meaning: quick calculations; estimates using approximate
numbers, instead of exact numbers same as ball-park figure in
British English.
8

9. Belt-tightening
Example: When worldwide demand for software
decreased, Microsoft had to do some belt-tightening.
Meaning: reduction of expenses
9

10. To bite the bullet
Example: When recession set, all industries’ had to bite the
bullet and cut jobs.
Meaning: to make a difficult or painful decision; to take a
difficult step
10

11. Bitter pill to swallow
Example: After Uma spent six months of training as an
intern for Amazon, failing to get a full-time job offer from the
company was a bitter pill to swallow.
Meaning: bad news; something unpleasant to accept.
11

12. Block buster
Example: Uma made a lot of money with the cooking classes
idea. It was a real blockbuster.
Meaning: a big success; a huge hit
12

13. Brownie points
Example: Jaya scored brownie points with her boss by
volunteering to organize the company's holiday party.
Meaning: credit for doing a good deed or for giving someone
a compliment usually a boss or teacher
13

14. Cash cow
Example: With strong sales every year and a great brand
name, Mercedes is a cash cow for Daimler Chrysler.
Meaning: a product, service, or business division that generates
a lot of cash for the company, without requiring much
investment
14

15. To cash in on
Example: Anthony Bourdain, No Reservation star of the
cookery TV show, cashed in on his popularity by writing
cookbooks and opening restaurants.
Meaning: to make money on; to benefit financially from
15

16. To climb the corporate ladder
Example: You want to climb the corporate ladder? It helps to
be productive and to look good in front of your boss.
Meaning: advance in one's career; the process of getting
promoted and making it to senior management
16

17. Purchase full presentation
consisting of 50 slides at
http://vansight.net/downloads/spoken-
english-skills-ppt.html
17