Work idioms

39 work idioms with what each one means. Tap one for its origin, examples and a quick check.

Back burner
If something is on the back burner, it has been put aside for now because other things are more important.
Back to the drawing board
Back to the drawing board means you must start planning again because the first attempt or idea failed.
Bend over backwards
If you bend over backwards, you try extremely hard to help or please someone, often more than you have to.
Big cheese
The big cheese is the most important or powerful person in a group or organization, such as the boss.
Bigger fish to fry
If you have bigger fish to fry, you have more important things to deal with, so a smaller matter is not worth your time.
Bread and butter
Your bread and butter is your main source of income, or the basic, everyday work or product that keeps you going.
Break even
To break even is to earn exactly as much money as you spend, so you make no profit and suffer no loss.
Bring home the bacon
To bring home the bacon means to earn the money that supports a family or household. It can also mean to succeed or win a prize.
Brownie points
Brownie points are imaginary credit you earn by doing something that pleases another person, especially someone in charge.
Burn bridges
To burn bridges is to act in a way that destroys a relationship or opportunity, so you cannot go back to it later.
Cash cow
A cash cow is a product, service or business that earns a steady flow of money with little extra effort or investment.
Cut corners
To cut corners is to do something in the cheapest, quickest or easiest way, often by skipping steps and lowering quality.
Dry run
A dry run is a practice or test that you do before the real event to check that everything works.
Elbow grease
Elbow grease means hard physical effort, especially when cleaning, scrubbing or polishing something by hand.
Fit the bill
If something fits the bill, it is exactly what is needed or suitable for a particular purpose.
Fly by the seat of your pants
To fly by the seat of your pants is to do something using instinct and quick decisions, without a plan, training or proper tools.
Get the ball rolling
To get the ball rolling means to start an activity, process or conversation so that it can keep going.
Heads up
A heads-up is a warning or piece of advance notice. Called out loud, "heads up" tells people to look out for something coming at them.
Hit the ground running
To hit the ground running is to start a new job, project or activity quickly and effectively, without needing time to settle in.
Jack of all trades
A jack of all trades is a person who can do many different kinds of work or tasks reasonably well.
Jump ship
To jump ship is to suddenly leave a job, team, group or plan, often to join a rival or when things get difficult.
On the fly
If you do something on the fly, you do it quickly while something else is happening, without stopping to plan or prepare.
Out of the loop
If you are out of the loop, you are not informed about something that other people know about or are involved in.
Pass the buck
To pass the buck is to push responsibility or blame onto someone else instead of dealing with it yourself.
Pull out all the stops
If you pull out all the stops, you make every possible effort and use everything you have to make something succeed.
Pull the plug
To pull the plug is to stop something, such as a project, plan or business, usually by ending the money or support it depends on.
Push the envelope
To push the envelope is to go beyond the usual limits of what is possible or accepted, trying something new or daring.
Rule of thumb
A rule of thumb is a rough, practical guideline based on experience rather than exact measurement or science.
Run of the mill
Something run-of-the-mill is ordinary and average, with nothing special or unusual about it.
Second nature
If something is second nature to you, you can do it easily and almost automatically, because you have done it so often.
Set in stone
If something is set in stone, it is fixed and cannot be changed.
Sink or swim
A sink-or-swim situation is one where you must succeed or fail on your own, with little or no help.
The buck stops here
The buck stops here means I take final responsibility, and I won't pass the blame to anyone else.
The devil is in the details
The devil is in the details means that small, easily overlooked details can cause big problems, so they deserve careful attention.
Throw someone under the bus
To throw someone under the bus means to blame or sacrifice someone, often a friend or colleague, to protect yourself or gain an advantage.
Toe the line
To toe the line is to follow the rules or do what a group or person in charge expects, even if you don't fully agree.
Touch base
To touch base means to make brief contact with someone to share news or check how things are going.
Up to snuff
If something is up to snuff, it is good enough and meets the expected standard.
Wet behind the ears
Someone wet behind the ears is young, new or inexperienced, and may not yet understand how things really work.

Work idioms

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