20 Useful Business English Expressions You Should Know


English is the language of business around the world. International seminars, conferences, and meetings are organized in English; large MNCs and corporate firms also prefer English as the language of communication. If you want to succeed on the big level, then it is necessary to be acquainted well with the nitty-gritty of business English, because more often than not, you will find yourself traveling to cities in new countries for onsite work.



Here are some useful business English expressions you should be aware of:

1. Carve out a niche


Meaning: To find a specialized market that you can control

Example: To succeed in the competitive world of freelancing, you have to carve out a niche in order to succeed.

2. Bring to the table


Meaning: Whatever you can possibly offer

Example: I will set up a meeting with the client to convey him what we can bring to the table.

3. On a shoestring


Meaning: With limited money or budget

Example: We are on a shoestring budget for this project but the management needs us to complete it with full efficiency.

4. At the 11th hour


Meaning: Very late, at the very last minute

Example: The presentation was all set to go live, but at the 11th hour, the CTO was taken ill

5. Deep pockets


Meaning: Having a lot of money

Example: Amazon has deep pockets and can fend off any competition from the new Flipkart-Walmart combine.


6. Down time


Meaning: When facilities or equipment required for work are not available so work cannot be done

Example: A lot of down time in our company was due to the server system not working properly.

7. Draw a line in the sand


Meaning: Set final conditions that cannot be changed

Example: I had to draw a line in the sand so that the client knew it was my final offer.

8. Get your foot in the door


Meaning: Have a small opportunity that can transform into a big opportunity if proper work is done.

Example: I just want to get my foot in the door as a data entry operator in the MNC so that I can shift to a developer role if I perform well.

9. A two-way street


Meaning: It means that both groups can benefit from the situation.

Example: The front-end team needs the help of the backend operators, who will certainly ask for some benefit as it is a two-way street here.

10. It will never fly


Meaning: Used to refer to a thing or idea that can never be successful.

Example: She mailed me such a preposterous idea for bonus cuts that it would never fly with the employees.

11. Jump through hoops


Meaning: To try very hard (like some circus animal doing tricks!)

Example: Roshan was quite a martinet. His employees had to rush through hoops to curry favors with him.

12. Learning curve


Meaning: The time required to learn something new

Example: If you want to go into data analytics, start with Python as R has a very steep learning curve.

13. Put your cards on the table


Meaning: Be completely honest

Example: The development team put all their cards on the table regarding the bug in the project.

14. Level playing field


Meaning: Equal conditions for all people and groups

Example: U.S. anti-dumping duties on steel and aluminum aim to provide a level-playing field to domestic producers.

15. Number crunching


Meaning: Analyze numbers

Example: Some serious number crunching has to be done on the financial reports of the company to see the error in balance.

16. Play hardball


Meaning: Deal in a tough, strict manner

Example: We have to play hardball in order to stave off the illegal tactics being employed by our competitors.

17. Push the envelope


Meaning: Move beyond current limits

Example: Trainers at Pep Talk India are always pushing the envelope by proving new and innovative ideas for the students to explore and discover.

18. Shotgun approach


Meaning: Strike widely rather than focusing

Example: The firm did not have a precise plan for their annual targets. They planned to adopt a shotgun approach to expand their marketing base instead.

19. A zero sum game


Meaning: A situation where someone wins so someone else must lose

Example: Greater competitivity in the broadband segment is a zero sum game, where the customers will benefit but the broadband providers will cut margins.

20. Pipe dream


Meaning: Something that is unrealistic

Example: Living on Mars has been peddled as a viable option in the future, but most skeptics think it is a pipe dream.



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