call it a day
Meaning: to leave work and go home; to say that a day’s work has been completed; to bring something to an end; to stop doing something.
Example: “Let’s call it a day even though it’s only three o’clock.”
Focused Idiom Category
Work and Business Idioms
Work and business idioms describe jobs, effort, responsibility, management, negotiation, routine, performance, and professional situations. They appear in meetings, interviews, emails, presentations, project updates, and everyday conversations between colleagues. This category is kept focused on expressions whose main meaning relates to work or commercial activity; idioms about money, final success, or decision-making are placed in their own topics unless work is clearly central. Each item has a short meaning and a professional example sentence showing how the idiom may appear in context. The A–Z navigation makes the page practical for learners and professionals, while related categories connect business language with money, success, and risk. Understanding these expressions can make workplace English sound more natural and can help readers follow the informal figurative language often used by managers, journalists, and experienced speakers.
29Relevant idioms
C
C Idioms
1 entriesD
D Idioms
2 entriesdaily grind
Meaning: the everyday work routine.
Example: “I’m getting very tired of the daily grind.”
donkey-work
Meaning: hard or boring work.
Example: “His wife picks flowers, but he does all the donkey-work in the garden.”
E
E Idioms
2 entrieseager beaver
Meaning: someone who is very enthusiastic; someone who works very hard.
Example: “New volunteers are always eager beavers.”
elbow-grease
Meaning: physical exertion; hard work.
Example: “It’ll take some elbow-grease to clean this car.”
F
F Idioms
3 entriesfall down on the job
Meaning: to fail to do something properly; to fail to do one’s job adequately.
Example: “The team kept losing because the coach was falling down on the job.”
fall into line
Meaning: to conform.
Example: “If you are going to work here, you will have to fall into line.”
fill someone’s shoes
Meaning: to take the place of some other person and perform satisfactorily in that role.
Example: “No one can fill your shoes.”
G
G Idioms
4 entriesget a start
Meaning: to receive training or a big opportunity in beginning one’s career.
Example: “She got a start in show business in Manchester.”
get down to business
Meaning: to begin to get serious; to begin to negotiate or conduct business.
Example: “Let’s get down to business.”
get into full swing
Meaning: to move into the peak of activity; to start moving fast or efficiently.
Example: “In the summer months, things really get into full swing around here.”
one a start
Meaning: to give one training or a big opportunity in beginning one’s career.
Example: “My career began when my father gave me a start in his act.”
J
J Idioms
4 entriesjack-of-all-trades
Meaning: someone who can do several different jobs instead of specializing in one.
Example: “John can do plumbing, joinery, and roofing—a real jack-of-all-trades.”
job lot
Meaning: a mixed collection of varying quality.
Example: “Mike found a valuable vase in that job lot he bought at the auction.”
jockey for position
Meaning: to try to push or manoeuvre one’s way into an advantageous position at the expense of others.
Example: “All the staff in that firm are jockeying for position.”
just the job
Meaning: exactly what is required.
Example: “Those pills were just the job for Jean’s headache.”
K
K Idioms
2 entrieskeep one’s head above water
Meaning: to stay ahead of one’s problems; to keep up with one’s work or responsibilities.
Example: “I can’t seem to keep my head above water.”
keep one’s nose to the grindstone
Meaning: to keep busy doing one’s work.
Example: “The manager told me to keep my nose to the grindstone or be sacked.”
L
L Idioms
2 entrieslabour of love
Meaning: a task which is either unpaid or poorly paid and which one does simply for one’s own satisfaction or pleasure or to please someone whom one likes or loves.
Example: “She was writing about the life of a friend, and the book was a labour of love.”
learn the ropes
Meaning: to learn how to do something; to learn how to work something.
Example: “I’ll be able to do my job very well as soon as I learn the ropes.”
N
N Idioms
1 entriesnine-to-five job
Meaning: a job with regular and normal hours.
Example: “I wouldn’t want a nine-to-five job.”
O
O Idioms
1 entrieson active duty
Meaning: in battle or ready to go into battle.
Example: “The soldier was on active duty for ten months.”
P
P Idioms
2 entriespass the buck
Meaning: to pass the blame; to give the responsibility.
Example: “Don’t try to pass the buck!”
pay one’s dues
Meaning: to pay the fees required to belong to an organization.
Example: “If you haven’t paid your dues, you can’t come to the club picnic.”
R
R Idioms
1 entriesrat race
Meaning: a fierce struggle for success, especially in one’s career or business.
Example: “Bob’s got tired of the rat race.”
T
T Idioms
1 entriestalking-shop
Meaning: a place or meeting where things are discussed, but action may or may not be taken.
Example: “Many people think the City Chambers is just a talking-shop.”
W
W Idioms
3 entrieswaiting in the wings
Meaning: ready or prepared to do something, especially to take over someone else’s job or position.
Example: “Mr. Smith retires as manager next year, and Mr. Jones is just waiting in the wings.”
wear more than one hat
Meaning: to have more than one set of responsibilities; to hold more than one office.
Example: “She wears more than one hat.”
wheeling and dealing
Meaning: taking part in clever but sometimes dishonest or immoral business deals.
Example: “John loves wheeling and dealing in the money markets.”
Helpful Answers
Frequently asked questions
What are work and business idioms?
They are fixed expressions about jobs, effort, responsibility, management, negotiation, workplace routine, projects, or commercial activity.
Are business idioms suitable for emails?
Many are suitable for internal or semi-formal emails, but highly informal idioms should be used carefully with clients or senior audiences.
How are they different from money idioms?
Work idioms focus on tasks and professional activity, while money idioms focus on cost, value, payment, wealth, or financial pressure.
Do native speakers use them in meetings?
Yes. Common idioms often appear in planning, negotiation, performance discussions, project reviews, and problem-solving conversations.
How can professionals learn them safely?
Start with widely used expressions, study the example and tone, then practise them in low-risk internal conversations before formal use.
