English
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SpanishIn offices around the world, managers often use idioms when giving instructions, offering feedback, or discussing work. For English learners, these expressions can be confusing because the words don’t always mean exactly what they say. This guide will help you learn common idioms used by managers, what they really mean, and how to understand and use them in real office situations.
30 American Business Idioms to Use at Work
(Practical English for Students and Professionals)
Why Learn Idioms Used By Managers?
When you understand idioms used by managers, you will:
Follow conversations more easily
Understand your manager’s feedback clearly
Communicate more naturally in meetings
Sound more professional when speaking English at work
Useful Phrases for Your Online Job Interview
✅ 20 Common Idioms Used By Managers in the Office
| Idiom | Real Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Touch base | Have a short discussion or update | “Let’s touch base tomorrow on your progress.” |
| On the same page | Agree or understand each other | “Before we start, let’s make sure we’re on the same page.” |
| Think outside the box | Be creative or find new ideas | “We need to think outside the box for this project.” |
| Back to square one | Start again from the beginning | “The plan didn’t work, so we’re back to square one.” |
| Move the goalposts | Change the rules or expectations | “They keep moving the goalposts on this project.” |
| Take ownership | Accept responsibility | “I want you to take ownership of this task.” |
| Hit the ground running | Start quickly and effectively | “We need someone who can hit the ground running.” |
| Game plan | A clear plan or strategy | “What’s our game plan for the meeting?” |
| In the loop | Keep informed | “Please keep me in the loop on any changes.” |
| Circle back | Return to discuss something later | “We’ll circle back to this topic next week.” |
| Raise the bar | Increase standards or expectations | “We need to raise the bar for customer service.” |
| The ball is in your court | It’s your turn to act | “The ball is in your court now — please decide.” |
| Low-hanging fruit | The easiest task to complete | “Let’s focus on the low-hanging fruit first.” |
| Put it on the back burner | Delay for now | “We’ll put that idea on the back burner for now.” |
| Take it offline | Discuss privately after a meeting | “Let’s take this offline and talk after the meeting.” |
| Red flag | Warning sign of a problem | “That missing data is a red flag.” |
| Bite the bullet | Do something unpleasant but necessary | “We need to bite the bullet and make budget cuts.” |
| Cut corners | Do something too quickly or cheaply | “We can’t cut corners on safety.” |
| At the end of the day | After considering everything | “At the end of the day, we need results.” |
| Bring to the table | Offer useful skills or ideas | “She brings a lot of experience to the table.” |
✅ How Managers Use Idioms in Conversations
In Meetings:
“Let’s touch base weekly to stay in the loop.”
Giving Feedback:
“You took ownership of the problem and hit the ground running.”
Discussing Problems:
“That missed deadline is a red flag we can’t ignore.”
Planning Work:
“Let’s take care of the low-hanging fruit first and circle back to the harder parts later.”
English Phrases for Managers to Sound like a Pro
✅ Table: Idioms Used By Managers and Their Tone
| Idiom | Tone/Feeling |
|---|---|
| Touch base | Friendly, casual |
| Red flag | Serious, warning |
| Low-hanging fruit | Focused on easy wins |
| Bite the bullet | Honest, difficult decision |
| Raise the bar | Positive, aiming higher |
✅ How to Practise Using Idioms Used By Managers
Read emails and meeting notes – look for these idioms in real documents.
Watch business videos or interviews – managers often use these phrases naturally.
Practise short dialogues with a friend or tutor using office situations.
Create your own example sentences for each idiom.
Listen for these phrases in real meetings or company calls.
40 Top Business English Idioms (and those you should avoid)
✅ Example Practice Dialogue
Manager:
“Thanks for taking ownership of this project. I know you had to bite the bullet to meet the deadline.”
Employee:
“Thank you. I tried to focus on the low-hanging fruit first, and I’ll circle back to the remaining issues tomorrow.”
✅ See how these idioms make business English sound more natural and professional.
Final Thoughts
When you learn how to understand and use idioms used by managers, you build real English skills for the workplace. These expressions are not just “extra” — they are part of daily professional communication.
The more you practise them, the more natural you’ll sound — and the easier it will be to follow conversations at work.
Key Takeaways
Managers often use idioms to give feedback, plan work, and discuss challenges
Learn the meaning behind common idioms like “circle back” and “take ownership”
Practise using these phrases in real office situations
Pay attention to tone — some idioms sound casual, some sound serious
The more you hear and practise, the more natural your professional English will become