Many ESL students wish to enhance their spoken English in the United States. The United States is at the hub of science, technology, art, and business, with Ivy League colleges, Silicon Valley, New York City, and Hollywood, among others, and so developing American English is of significant importance to many people.
If you truly want to enhance your American side and speak like an American, you must be idiom-fluent. Native American speakers communicate in a very informal and easygoing manner, and they frequently use idioms in their interactions. Furthermore, several American colloquial idioms are not frequent in British English or English used in other regions of the world, which might be a bit perplexing to a student.
Improve your American English with these 12 Business Idioms
Field day
Meaning – lot of fun.
How to use it when speaking – The media is having a field day with a leaked video of the senator
Time to kill
Meaning – nothing to do.
How to use it when speaking – Hey let’s meet for a drink if you have time to kill when you are in Austin.
Raincheck
Meaning – Said to someone who has asked you to an event you are unable to visit right now but would want to go to later.
How to use it when speaking – Sorry, I got to take a raincheck on the dinner. I have a 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, that 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’ve heard she’s the owner’s close buddy.
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 difficult than I hoped. 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 – a cup of coffee
How to use it when speaking – Pour me a cup of joe, would you?
Bonus tip
The secret to improving American English is to immerse yourself fully into it. 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.