Improve American Spoken English with these 13 Business Idioms
There are a lot of ESL students who want to improve American Spoken English. With Ivy League universities, Silicon Valley, New York City, Hollywood etc, the US is in the epicenter of research, technology, art and commerce, and hence improving American Spoken English is of great value to many individuals.
However, if you really want to improve American Spoken English and speak like an American, you need to be fluent in idioms. Native American English speakers talk in a very casual and relaxed way and it is very common for them to throw in idioms during conversations. And some idiomatic expressions that Americans used are not common in British English or English used in other parts of the world, so can be confusing to the English learner.
Improve American Spoken English with these 13 Business Idioms
Field day
Meaning – lot of fun
How to use it when speaking – The media is having a field day with leaked video of the senator
Time to kill
Meaning – nothing to do
How to use it when speaking – Hey’ let’s meet for drinks if you have to time to kill when you are in Austin.
Raincheck
Meaning – Said to someone who has invited you to something that you cannot attend now, but would like to attend at a later time
How to use it when speaking – Sorry, I got to take a rain check on the dinner. I have an test this week.
A toss up
Meaning – a situation in which all options are equally good.
How to use it when speaking – It is really a toss up between John and Mary. Both are equally qualified for the job.
Before the ink is dry
Meaning – If people reach an agreement, and then change their minds immediately.
How to use it when speaking – The two countries had started fighting even before the ink was dry on the peace agreement.
Laugh my face off
Meaning – Laughing a lot
How to use it when speaking – The Jim Jefferies show was so funny, I was laughing my face off.
Mum’s the word
Meaning – Say nothing. Keep it secret.
How to use it when speaking – Mum’s the word on the new boss. I have heard she is a close friend of the owner.
Pain in the neck
Meaning – Something you dislike/hate
How to use it when speaking – Ben is a real pain in the neck sometimes. He needs to work on his social skills.
Bite off more than you can chew
Meaning – Take on more responsibility than one can handle.
How to use it when speaking – The project was more complicated than I thought. I feel I have bitten off more than I can chew
New York minute
Meaning – A very short time
How to use it when speaking – I’ll be back in a New York minute
A dime a dozen
Meaning – Very common.
How to use it when speaking – Internet entrepreneurs are a dime a dozen these days. Only a very few make any money.
A cup of joe
Meaning – cup of coffee
How to use it when speaking – Pour me a cup of joe, would you?
Bonus tip
The secret to improve American Spoken English is to immerse yourself fully in American English. There are tons of American TV shows that you can watch or numerous audiobooks that you can listen to. Don’t try to memorize lists of idioms. Rather focus on absorbing as much as you can through your ears and using them in Conversational Practice.
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