Business English Booster

Bite Sized Business English

Category: Uncategorized

  • Hand to Mouth

    🗓️ Idiom: Hand to Mouth

    💬 Meaning

    • Living with just enough money to cover basic needs, without any savings or financial security.
    • It describes a situation where a person earns just enough to survive day by day.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • After losing his job, he was living hand to mouth for several months.
    • Many workers on minimum wage are forced to live hand to mouth.
    • She’s trying to save money now, but for years she lived hand to mouth.

    🏛️ Origin

    The phrase dates back to the 16th century and refers to the idea of food going directly from a person’s hand into their mouth, meaning having only enough for immediate needs, with nothing left over.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    During the recession, many families were living __________ to mouth.

    Answer

    hand

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “hand to mouth”:

    A) Living with financial stability
    B) Living with just enough to survive
    C) Spending money on luxury

    Answer

    B) Living with just enough to survive

    3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:

    “They survive on very little income and have no savings.” → Change the sentence using: hand to mouth

    Answer

    They live hand to mouth with no savings.

    ℹ️ Other Useful Pages

    👉 HR and Recruitment Idioms
    👉 Business English Idioms List
    👉 Student Space
    👉 Tutor Toolkit

  • Take a Hit

    🗓️ Idiom: Taking a Hit

    💬 Meaning

    • To suffer a financial loss or negative impact, often due to external events or poor performance.
    • To experience a decrease in value, profits, or reputation.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • Our profits took a hit after the new competitor entered the market.
    • The company is taking a hit due to rising material costs.
    • Investors took a hit when the stock price dropped unexpectedly.

    🏛️ Origin

    Originally from physical combat or sports, where “taking a hit” means receiving a blow. In business, it evolved metaphorically to refer to losses or damage, especially financial.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    The tech industry is __________ after new government regulations were introduced.

    Answer

    taking a hit

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “taking a hit”:

    A) Gaining unexpected profit
    B) Suffering a loss or setback
    C) Hiring a new team member

    Answer

    B) Suffering a loss or setback

    3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:

    “The business experienced a major financial loss this quarter.” → Change the sentence using: taking a hit

    Answer

    The business took a hit this quarter.

    ℹ️ Other Useful Pages

    👉 Finance and Accounting Idioms
    👉 Business English Idioms List
    👉 Student Space
    👉 Tutor Toolkit

  • Throw Money Down the Drain

    🗓️ Idiom: Throw Money Down the Drain

    💬 Meaning

    • To waste money on something that brings no value or return.
    • To spend money carelessly or on something ineffective or unnecessary.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • Investing in that outdated software was like throwing money down the drain.
    • If we don’t fix the marketing strategy, we’re just throwing money down the drain.
    • Buying all that expensive equipment before confirming the project was throwing money down the drain.

    🏛️ Origin

    This idiom uses a vivid image of literally pouring money into a drain where it disappears and becomes unrecoverable. It emphasises the idea of complete financial waste.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    Paying for ads that don’t reach the right audience is just __________.

    Answer

    throwing money down the drain

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “throwing money down the drain”:

    A) Investing in a profitable opportunity
    B) Spending money wisely
    C) Wasting money without any benefit

    Answer

    C) Wasting money without any benefit

    3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:

    “They wasted a lot of money on a failed campaign.” → Change the sentence using: throwing money down the drain

    Answer

    They threw money down the drain with that failed campaign.

    ℹ️ Other Useful Pages

    👉 Finance and Accounting Idioms
    👉 Business English Idioms List
    👉 Student Space
    👉 Tutor Toolkit

  • Work the Room

    🗓️ Idiom: Work the Room (v)

    💬 Meaning

    • To move around a social or professional gathering, actively engaging with many people.
    • Used especially when trying to build relationships, make connections, or leave a good impression.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • She worked the room like a pro, introducing herself to every potential client.
    • If you’re going to succeed at networking events, you have to learn how to work the room.
    • The candidate spent the first half hour working the room before sitting down for dinner.

    🏛️ Origin

    Its origin lies in late 19th and early 20th-century politics and sales. Politicians and salespeople learned to efficiently “work” (manoeuvre through) crowds to connect with as many individuals as possible for votes, donations, or sales.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    He grabbed a drink and immediately started to __________ the room, shaking hands and chatting with guests.

    Answer

    work

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “work the room”:

    A) Rearrange the furniture at a venue
    B) Greet and engage with many people at a gathering
    C) Clean up after a meeting

    Answer

    B) Greet and engage with many people at a gathering

    3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:

    “She introduced herself to everyone at the event and made some useful contacts.” → Change the sentence using: work the room

    Answer

    She worked the room and made some useful contacts.

    ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
    👉 Relationship and Networking Idioms
    👉 Business English Idioms List

  • About

    About Business English Booster

    Hi, my name is Rob and welcome to Business English Booster. We hope to be your one-stop shop for all things related to mastering Business English.

    I am a dedicated educator with over twelve years of teaching experience. I have guided students of all ages – from 5 to 65 – in their English language journey.

    My teaching experience has taken me to various countries including Thailand and Saudi Arabia. This has  allowed me to work in a wide selection of differing environments. For the last three years I have been teaching online with Business English being my main focus.

    During those years, I noticed a lack of quality, interactive resources for learning and teaching Business English. This has inspired me to create “Business English Booster” to facilitate learning and provide online teachers with resources.

    The Business English Booster platform is intended to serve as a go-to learning centre for both teachers and learners.  It will provide the necessary tools and assistance to achieve a confident level of Business English communication in a wide variety of business settings.

    For Learners:

    • Discover Essential Business Vocabulary: Find an expansive range of vocabulary categorised into relevant fields. 
    • Interactive Idioms: Whizz through idioms with our fantastic interactive course.
    • Master Real-World Communication: Practise speaking by taking part in real business situations, dialogues and role plays. 
    • Learn Easily Interactive Activities: Become highly engaged with quizzes, flashcards, slide and match, and many more. 
    • Speed up Your Progress with Paid Courses: Involve yourself in more specialised knowledge with any of our well designed paid courses. 
    • Receive Personalised Support: Speak with one of our tutors who will help guide you through the lessons on our website.

    For Teachers:

    • Bolster Your Curriculum: Use any of our free resources to teach on any platform you like. Or even in a classroom. 
    • Get Paid: Connect with students on the BEB platform and get paid an hourly rate. 
    • Use News Articles: See our daily feed of global business news to use with your students.

    Business English booster aims to help teachers and students with engaging, interesting, and interactive lessons. Please leave feedback in the comments to give us some congrats or to suggest what improvements we can make.