Workplace Idioms

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1- Match the idioms with the correct meaning:

1. Break someone’s back

2. Back to the salt mines
3. Do the donkey work
4. Talk shop
5. Nothing ventured, nothing gained

________________

a) To talk about business

b) If you don’t take risks you don’t win
c) Work hard and with a lot of effort
d) Go back to work
e) Do the work that nobody wants to do
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2- Complete the sentences with the correct idiom

1. Leave us alone please, we need to ____________.

2. After the long weekend we need to go back ________________.
3. Let’s open the restaurant, let’s not think of failing, you know what they
say, nothing ________ nothing ________.
4. Julian had to _______ his _______ in order to get a promotion in his job.
5. As I’m the newbie in the legal bureau, they make me do all the
_____________. I’m not worried though, I know that I’ll have my place in
here.

3- Complete the questions with the correct idiom.

a) How do you react on Mondays, when you have to go

__________________? Do you feel happy or frustrated?
b) Did you have to do the _____________ when you were the new
employee in your work?
c) When you are out of your job, do you __________ with your partners, or
you just disconnect from everything that is work-related?
d) Do you feel like you are breaking ____________ at work and you are not
being considered for ti?
e) Are you agree with the idioms “____________________” Or you think that
we need to be careful in what risks should we take.

4- Discuss the questions with your teacher.

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Answers:

1:

1-c ; 2-d ; 3-e ; 4-a ; 5-b

2:

1- talk shop

2- to the salt mines

3- ventured / gained

4- break his back

5- donkey work

3:

a) back to the salt mines

b) donkey work

c) talk shop

d) your back

e) Nothing ventured nothing gained