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Idiom Safari

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Idiom Safari

Searching for Workplace Idioms

Idioms are groups of words that mean something other than their dictionary definition. They are idiosyncratic uses of language, peculiar to a specific dialect, profession, age group, or other cultural division. Understanding idioms allows you to fit in with whatever group uses them.

To understand common business idioms, you can search online to find how they are used. For example, the idiom "buzz words" refers to terms that are currently in style but superficial in importance:

"It's time to break from hackneyed buzz words that carry zero weight in the eyes of a recruiter or hiring manager." —Monster.Com

Your Turn For each of the following business idioms, write a definition and find an online example that correctly uses it.

  1. across the board
  2. brain drain
  3. can't wrap head around
  4. elephant in the room
  5. from the ground up
  6. in the loop
  7. on the same page
  8. reinvent the wheel
  9. stick to your guns
  10. take the bull by the horns
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From 559 in Write for College

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