Idioms for MBA Class

Idioms:
Break a leg (to wish good luck)
E.g. 'Tonight's the first night of the play.' 'Is it? Well, break a leg!'

Hit the books (to study hard)
E.g. I cant go out tonight. I have got to hit the books.

Phrasal Verbs
Back sth up (reverse; drive a vehicle backwards)
E.g. "You're too close! Back your car up so I can open the garage door."

Back sb up (support)
E.g. My wife backed me up over my decision to quit my job.

Idioms:
Piece of cake (a task that is easily accomplished)
E.g.It was a piece of cake. I had everything done before lunch this morning.

It cost an arm and a leg(If something costs an arm and a leg, it is very expensive
indeed.)
E.g.Lia: How much was the hospital bill?
Eric: It cost an arm and a leg!


Phrasal Verbs:
Ask around (ask many people the same question)
E.g. I asked around but nobody has seen my wallet.

Add up to something (to result in sth/ to mean sth)
E.g. The details dont add up to a complete picture of what caused the
explosion.



Idioms:
Let the cat out of the bag (to disclose a secret)
E.g. "Shhhh! Here comes Martha. Don't let the cat out of the bag!"

Hit the nail on the head (to be exactly correct)
E.g. "There, you've hit the nail on the head. Now, we need to identify a solution."

Phrasal Verbs
Blow up (explode)
E.g. The terrorists tried to blow up the railroad station.

Blow sth up (fill air)
E.g. Teddy has to blow the inflatable balls up for the kids who are at the pool.

Idioms:
You cant judge a book by its cover (You cannot judge the quality or character of someone or
something just by looking at them)
E.g. She doesn't look very intelligent, but you can't judge a book by its cover.

Bite off more than you can chew (to take on a task that is too much for you to handle)
E.g. This is probably too big a mortgage for me to handle. I may be biting off more than I can chew, but
Im going to do it. Besides, Ill be getting a raise soon!!

Phrasal Verbs
Break down (End negotiations unsuccessfully/ Start crying/ Stop working/ analysing something in detail)
E.g. The talks between management and the unions broke down acrimoniously.
He broke down in tears.
My car's broken down, so I came by taxi.
You need to break down the maths problem in order to solve it properly.

Idioms:
Scratch someones back (to help someone out with the assumption that they will return the favour in the
future)
E.g. We believe that the Mayor has been scratching the treasurers back.

Always a bridesmaid, never a bride (someone who never manage to fulfill their ambition- they get
close, but never manage the recognition, etc, they crave.)
E.g. Henry worked with a host of great actors, but somehow was always the bridesmaid, never the bride.

Phrasal Verbs
Break in (force entry to a building)
E.g. Somebody broke in last night and stole our stereo.

Break into (to enter a building by force)
E.g. The firemen had to break into the room to rescue the children.

Idioms:
Pull someones leg (to kid, fool, or trick someone.)
E.g. Don't believe him. He's just pulling your leg.

Basket case (someone who is unhinged [mentally unbalanced].)
E.g. Henry worked with a host of great actors, but somehow was always the bridesmaid, never the bride.

Phrasal Verbs
Break up (to finish a romantic relationship with someone.)
E.g. My boyfriend and I broke up before I moved to America.

Break out of (to escape from somewhere.)
E.g. The prisoners broke out of jail when the guards werent looking.

Idioms:
Cut corners (to take shortcuts; to save money or effort by finding cheaper or easier ways to do
something.)
E.g. I won't cut corners just to save money. I put quality first.

Bit under the weather (feeling sick.)
E.g. Doctor: How are you? Mary: I've been under the weather.

Phrasal Verbs
Bring something about (cause something to happen/ cause a ship to head in a different direction.)
E.g. She brought about a revolution in psychoanalysis.
He brought the ship about in a stylish tack.

Bring something back (reintroduce something/ cause something to return.)
E.g. Bringing back capital punishment would solve nothing.
The smell of the tiny church brought back every memory of my childhood.

Idioms:
Kill two birds with one stone (do two things simultaneously.)
E.g. I have to cash a check and make a payment on my bank loan. I'll kill two birds with one stone by
doing them both in one trip to the bank.

Once in a blue moon (very rarely)
E.g. My sister lives in Alaska, so I only get to see her once in a blue moon.

Phrasal Verbs
Bring someone down (cause someone to lose power/ cause someone to fall over, especially by
tackling them during a football or rugby match/ make someone unhappy.)
E.g. The vote will not bring down the government.
Harris was brought down by Palmer on the edge of the box.
She was in such a good mood I couldnt bear to bring her down.

Bring someone/thing down (cause someone or something to fall over by shooting them.)
E.g. too bad he couldnt bring the bear down with a clean shot.

Idioms:
See eye to eye (agree)
E.g. Will labor and management ever see eye to eye on the new contract?

Speak of the devil (and in he walks), and Talk of the devil (and he is sure to appear)
(Talk about a certain person, and that person appears. [Used when someone appears whom you have
just been talking about.])
E.g. Alan: I haven't seen Bob for weeks. Jane: Look, here comes Bob right now. Alan: Well, talk of the
devil. Hi, there. We were just talking about you. Speak of the devil and in he walks.

Phrasal Verbs
Bring something forward (move a meeting or event to an earlier date or time/ [often as adjective
brought forward] [in bookkeeping] transfer a total sum from the bottom of one page to the top of
the next/ propose a plan or idea for consideration)
E.g. The congress has been brought forward by a year.
A profit and loss balance brought forward of 5,000,000.
I realize that when I bring forward proposals they will have to be judged on their merits.

Bring something in (introduce a new law or product/ [of a jury] give a decision in court)
E.g. Congress brought in reforms to prevent abuse of presidential power.
The jury brought in a unanimous verdict.
Idioms:
Blessing in disguise (Something good which isnt recognized in the first instant)
E.g. Dad's illness was a blessing in disguise; it brought the family together for the first time in years.

A doubting Thomas (a person who refuses to believe anything until they are given proof)
E.g. My boss is a doubting Thomas, there is no point trying to convince him.

Phrasal Verbs
Bring someone up (raise a child)
E.g. Her grandparents brought her up after her parents died.

Bring something up (start talking about a subject/ vomit)
E.g. My mother walks out of the room when my father brings up sports.
Fortunately, Jill brought up the poison.
Idioms:
A dime a dozen (Something that is available in plenty and commonly)
E.g. Romantic movies are dime a dozen.

A leopard can't/doesn't change its spots (something that you say which means that a person's
character, especially if it is bad, will not change, even if they pretend it has)
E.g. I doubt very much that marriage will change Chris for the better. A leopard doesn't change its spots.

Phrasal Verbs
Call for
(make necessary/ publicly ask for or demand/ predict or describe (the likely weather conditions) for a
period of time in the future)
E.g. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
The report calls for an audit of endangered species.
The forecast is calling for more rain.
Idioms:
Best of both worlds (a situation wherein one can enjoy two different opportunities.)
E.g. When don was a fellow at the university, he had the privileges of a professor and the freedom of a
student. He had the best of both worlds.

Chew the fat/ Chew the rag (to chat or gossip)
E.g. Sit yourself down and let's chew the fat for a while.

Phrasal Verbs
Bring someone off (rescue someone from a ship in difficulties )
E.g. Any men been brought off yet? joe asked one of the fishermen on the beach.

Bring something off (achieve something successfully)
E.g. A good omelette is very hard to bring off
Idioms:
Clear as a bell (very clear)
E.g. I fixed the radio, so now all the stations come in clear as a bell.

Cold turkey (to quit something abruptly and experience severe withdrawal symptoms)
E.g. The nurses are there to encourage patients through cold turkey.

Phrasal Verbs
Bring someone on (encourage someone who is learning something to develop or improve)
E.g. Mr. Edom thought well of him, and was bringing him on.

Bring something on (cause something, typically something unpleasant, to occur/ (of the weather)
promote the growth of crops. )
E.g. Ulcers are not brought on by a rich diet.
Idioms:
Against the clock (in a race with time; in a great hurry to get something done before a particular time.)
E.g. In a race against the clock, they rushed the accident victim to the hospital.

Devils advocate (someone who takes a position in an argument without knowing the truth. Or someone
who counters the argument without believing in it)
E.g. He is just playing devils advocate. Dont fall for his trap.

Phrasal Verbs
Call something forth (elicit (draw out) a specified response)
E.g. Few things call forth more compassion.

Call someone/thing down (cause or provoke someone or something to appear or occur/ reprimand
someone)
E.g. Nothing called down the wrath of nemesis quicker.
The manager called down Jane for being late.
Idioms:
A flash in the pan (briefly successful or popular)
E.g. At first, some of the major record labels thought rock n roll was just a flash in the pan.

In a pickle (experiencing a difficult situation)
E.g. He thinks the media are responsible for his being in such a pickle

Phrasal Verbs
Call someone in (enlist someones aid or services)
E.g. You can either do the work yourself or call in a local builder to help you.

Call something in (require payment of a loan or promise of moneye)
E.g. The bank would call in loans and foreign donations.