Business English Idioms

Name: Business English Idioms
Rating: 4.6 (3787 reviews)

Learn business English idioms to improve your professional English speaking skills

Created byDylan Gates

Last updated 10/2025

English

What you'll learn

understand a range of English idioms used in the professional world.
use these idioms to make their communication more natural, effective and engaging.
feel more confident and comfortable interacting with native speakers of English.

Course content

3 sections • 102 lectures • 5h 52m total length

Introduction to Business English Idioms2:09
There is a 100-page ebook to accompany this course. It summarises the information from the video lessons so it can be used to review and really remember the idioms. I recommend you look at it regularly after finishing the course as this will help you store the idioms in your long-term memory.

The book contains:
list of idioms
example sentences from video lessons
options from video lessons
answers
practice questions.

To call it a day3:17
To get your foot in the door3:11
To see eye to eye3:14
To pay under the table3:03
To talk shop2:54
To put something on the back burner3:18
To throw in the towel2:55
To go the extra mile3:12
To think outside the box3:24
To get off on the wrong foot3:18
To stand your ground3:45
To run around like a headless chicken3:03
To cut to the chase3:04
To be a blessing in disguise3:26
To cost an arm and a leg3:03
To learn the ropes2:54
Business Idioms Quiz 1
To cook the books3:09
To make a cold call3:27
To get the green light2:49
To twist somebody's arm3:13
To run on a shoestring3:30
To be snowed under2:41
To be in the red / black4:30
To be a big fish in a small pond4:06
To be ahead of the curve4:05
To stay on top of things3:41
To play it by ear2:55
To pick somebody's brain2:43
Business English idioms Quiz 2
To cut corners2:58
To take the bull by the horns2:38
To get fired4:28
To be dead wood3:19
To quit the rat race3:46
To go back to the drawing board3:08
To miss the boat3:13
To jump the gun2:58
Business English Idioms - Quiz 3
To be in the loop2:53
To move the goalposts3:10
To be put on the map3:05
To do the donkey work3:12
To jump on the bandwagon3:49
To hold the fort3:07
To pay dividends4:18
To hold all the aces2:37
To cash in your chips4:16
To take something on board3:59
Business English Idioms Quiz 4
To flex your muscles3:05
To tighten your belt3:07
To pick holes in something2:03
To eat out of your hand2:46
To skate on thin ice3:13
To take something with a pinch of salt3:49
To be in the saddle2:47
To weather the storm3:38
To get your act together2:19
To pull out all the stops3:27
To cut a long story short3:15
To be the last straw3:29
To be a wild goose chase2:39
Business English Idioms Quiz 5
To be a hot potato3:23
To have an ace up your sleeve4:11
To be a long shot3:24
To be / make a power play3:05
To be a dark horse3:08
To be a snake in the grass2:45
To be / take a shot in the dark3:00
To be in the driver's seat3:22
To be a game changer3:35
To be low-hanging fruit3:47
To be on the same page3:21
To kill two birds with one stone4:05
To be a double-edged sword3:31
To be an uphill climb2:10
To be a tough nut to crack3:49
Business Idioms Quiz 6
To make ends meet3:24
To bite the bullet2:53
To think on your feet2:51
To leave no stone unturned4:10
To keep the ball rolling3:36
To break the bank4:21
To turn the tables3:46
To break the mould3:23
To sink or swim2:56
To read between the lines3:25
To stay one step ahead3:08
To open the floodgates4:37
To put your eggs in one basket3:15
To mind your Ps and Qs3:31
To hit the nail on the head3:10
To keep your eye on the ball3:12
To ride the wave3:32
To be a feather in your cap2:58
To roll out the red carpet3:45
To pull the strings4:02
To burn the midnight oil2:36
To sweep something under the carpet4:14
To square the circle2:59
To have your finger in every pie3:38
To grease the wheels3:39
Review 92-1003:27

Requirements

You need to have an Intermediate or Advanced level of English.
Experience of working with colleagues or clients who speak English.

Description

Boost Your Professional English Communication Skills

Master 100+ Essential Business Idioms and Speak English with Confidence at Work

You’ve studied grammar. You know plenty of vocabulary. But when it comes to speaking English confidently at work, you still feel stuck.

That’s because real-life business English is full of idioms—expressions like “dog-eat-dog industry” or “think outside the box”—that don’t make sense if you only focus on individual words. You might understand what’s being said literally, but miss the actual meaning.

If you want to sound natural, persuasive, and professional in your English-speaking workplace, understanding and using idioms is essential.

Why This Course?

This practical, 5-hour course will teach you over 100 commonly used English business idioms, helping you:

Communicate more clearly and naturally
Build stronger relationships with colleagues and clients
Understand what native speakers really mean
Sound more fluent and confident at work

Course Highlights

Short, effective lessons – Each video is just 3–4 minutes, focusing on one idiom at a time
Clear definitions & real-world examples – Learn how each idiom is used in a business context
Memory-boosting questions – Reinforce your learning with interactive thinking prompts
Usage checks – Practice recognizing when idioms are used correctly
MP3 downloads – Take your learning on the go and listen anytime, anywhere
100-page illustrated eBook – Review all idioms quickly with visuals and summaries

Who This Course Is For

Professionals who already understand English but want to sound more fluent and engaging
Non-native English speakers working in international companies
Anyone preparing for job interviews, presentations, or meetings in English

Start Speaking Business English Like a Pro

By the end of this course, you’ll confidently use idioms that help you express ideas more vividly, build rapport more easily, and understand your colleagues more clearly.

Join now and take your professional English to the next level!

Who this course is for:

Adult learners of English as a second language.
Professionals who need to use English at work.

Business English Idioms

What you'll learn

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Course content

Brief Overview of the Course1 lecture • 2min