8 Common Idioms Relevant in Business Today: Practise your Reading Skills

Aprende 8 expresiones idiomáticas en inglés que puedes usar en los negocios, el trabajo ¡y en la vida en general! Con ejercicios de comprensión lectora.

Actualizado a 30 de marzo de 2025, 16:34

If you are walking from A to B and you cut across a corner to make the journey quicker, this is a good thing, right? This means you walk less and get to your destination earlier. However, language can be surprising and the idiom "to cut corners" in English has a negative meaning. Read on to find out why and to discover 8 idioms that are often used in the workplace. Don't forget to complete the reading comprehension exercises at the end.

8 Common Idioms Relevant in Business Today

1. To cut corners

Meaning: To do something in a quicker, easier, and often cheaper way, usually by ignoring rules or not doing it properly.

Origin: This phrase likely comes from driving or construction, where cutting across corners instead of following the proper path saves time but may cause problems in the long run.

Examples:

"The company cut corners when building the new office, and now there are many safety issues." (La empresa recortó gastos al construir la nueva oficina y ahora hay muchos problemas de seguridad).
"If you cut corners on this project, your report will have a lot of mistakes." (Si recortas gastos en este proyecto, tu informe tendrá muchos errores).

2. It’s not rocket science

Meaning: Used to say that something is not difficult to understand or do.

Origin: The phrase became popular in the mid-20th century when space exploration was at its peak. Since rocket science is extremely complicated, this idiom suggests that the task at hand is much simpler in comparison.

Examples:

"Learning how to send an email isn’t rocket science! You just need to follow a few simple steps." (¡No hay que ser un genio para aprender a enviar un correo electrónico! Solo necesitas seguir unos sencillos pasos).
"Managing a small team is not rocket science; you just need good communication skills." (No hay que ser un genio para dirigir un equipo pequeño; solo necesitas buenas habilidades de comunicación).

3. To put something on the back burner

Meaning: To postpone or delay something because it is not a priority at the moment.

Origin: This idiom comes from cooking, where the front burners of a stove are used for tasks requiring immediate attention, while less urgent tasks are placed on the back burners.

Examples:

"We’ve put the new marketing campaign on the back burner until next quarter." (Hemos dejado la nueva campaña de marketing en segundo plano hasta el próximo trimestre).
"Due to budget cuts, our plans for a new office were placed on the back burner." (Debido a los recortes de presupuesto, nuestros planes para una nueva oficina quedaron en segundo plano).

4. To throw in the towel

Meaning: To give up or quit, especially after trying hard to succeed.

Origin: This phrase comes from boxing. When a boxer’s team sees that their fighter can’t continue, they throw a towel into the ring to signal surrender.

Examples:

"After months of low sales, the company threw in the towel and shut down." (Después de meses de bajas ventas, la empresa tiró la toalla y cerró).
"Don’t throw in the towel yet; we can still fix the project." (No tires la toalla aún; todavía podemos arreglar el proyecto).

5. To keep someone on their toes

Meaning: To make sure someone stays alert and ready for any challenge. They are ‘on their toes’ ready to jump into action at any moment!

Origin: The phrase likely comes from sports, where athletes must stay on their toes to be quick and make those sudden jumps and runs.

Examples:

"My boss always keeps me on my toes with unexpected assignments." (Mi jefe siempre me mantiene alerta con tareas inesperadas).
"The new competitor is keeping us on our toes by launching new products every month." (El nuevo competidor nos mantiene alerta lanzando nuevos productos cada mes).

6. To rock the boat

Meaning: To cause trouble or disrupt a stable situation.

Origin: This phrase comes from the idea of a boat being steady on the water. If someone moves too much, the boat can become unstable and may even capsize.

Examples:

"He didn’t want to rock the boat, so he stayed silent during the meeting." (No quería causar problemas, así que se quedó en silencio durante la reunión).
"If you ask for a raise now, it might rock the boat with management." (Si pides un aumento ahora, podrías causar problemas con la gerencia).

7. To get your foot in the door

Meaning: To take the first step toward getting a good job or opportunity.

Origin: The phrase comes from salesmen in the past who would place their foot in a customer’s door to prevent it from closing, giving them a chance to make their pitch. Nowadays getting a low paid or voluntary position at an organisation can be a way to get your foot in the door.

Examples:

"An internship is a great way to get your foot in the door in the finance industry." (Hacer prácticas es una excelente manera de poner un pie en la puerta en la industria financiera).
"She took a low-paying job at the company just to get her foot in the door." (Aceptó un trabajo mal pagado en la empresa solo para poner un pie en la puerta).

8. To see eye to eye

Meaning: To agree with someone on an issue.

Origin: This phrase is from the Bible (Isaiah 52:8), where it describes people who see things in the same way and have the same viewpoint.

Examples:

"The two managers finally saw eye to eye on the budget plan." (Los dos gerentes finalmente se pusieron de acuerdo sobre el presupuesto).
"I don’t see eye to eye with my coworker about how to handle customer complaints." (No estoy de acuerdo con mi compañero de trabajo sobre cómo manejar las quejas de los clientes).

If you like these idioms, you can also check out this article: Expresiones en inglés para desenvolverte con más fluidez en el trabajo for more expressions that are useful in the workplace.