Idioms and Phrases - CSEET Business communication.

1. Once in a blue moon. – Something that happens very rarely.

2. Break the ice – to initiate a social conversation or interaction.

3. Beating around the bush – avoiding the main topic.

4. A bird’s eye view – a view from a very high place that allows you to see a very large area.

5. Chip on your shoulder- when some one is upset about something that happened a while ago.

6. At the drop of a hat – willingness to do something instantly.

7. Cry over split milk – complaining about a loss or failure from the past.

8. Spill the beans – To disclose a secret.

9. Afraid of one’s own shadow – to become easily frightened.

10. Piece of cake – something that is easy to understand or do.

11. Blessing in disguise – something good and useful that did not initially seem that way.

12. Come hell or high water – possible obstacles in your path.

13. A house of cards – poor plan

14. Taste of your own medicine – when someone receives the same treatment, usually negative, that they gives to others.

15. Golden handshake – a big sum of money given to a person when he leaves a company or retires.

16. Be on cloud nine – be very happy.

17. Mean business – being serious or dedicated.

18. Fools paradise – a false sense of happiness or success.

19. Apple of one eye – being cherished more than others are.

20. Hit the bulls eye – to be exactly right about something or achieve the best result possible.

21. The best of both worlds – the benefits of widely differing situations enjoyed at the same time.

22. Open Pandora’s box – to find a source of great troubles and problems.

23. Feeling a bit under the weather – feeling slightly ill.

24. Icing on the cake – something that turns good into great.

25. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket – do not put all your resources in one basket.

26. To call a spade a spade – to be brutally frank, outspoken, blunt in speech.

27. Cost an arm and a leg – be very expensive.

28. Jump the bandwagon – to join a popular activity or trend.

29. To pour oil in troubled waters – to make peace.

30. Ball is in your court – when it is up to you to make the next decision or step.

31. Bite off more than you can chew – to take up a task which you may not be able to accomplish due to lack of ability.

32. To put in a nutshell – to say in a few words or to make something concise.

33. Can not judge a book by its cover – cannot judge something primarily on appearance.

34. Hear it on grapevine – to hear rumours about something or someone.

35. It takes two to tango – actions or communication need more than one person.

36. Last straw – the final problem in a serious of problems.

37. To be in the doldrums – to be in low spirits.

38. To sit on the fence – to remain neutral.

39. Banking up the wrong tree – looking in the wrong place.

40. Take with a grain of salt – not to take what someone says too seriously.