See our list of software and IT idioms
| Idiom | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Cutting edge (adj) | At the forefront of innovation or technology. | “Our company invests in cutting-edge software to stay ahead of the competition.” |
| State of the art (adj) | The latest or most advanced stage of development in a product or technology. | “The new state-of-the-art CRM system has greatly improved our customer management processes.” |
| Ahead of the curve (adj) | To be more advanced or innovative than others. | “Our IT department is ahead of the curve when it comes to implementing new technologies.” |
| Pushing the envelope (v) | To innovate or go beyond existing boundaries or limits. | “The software development team is pushing the envelope with its latest project.” |
| Breaking new ground (v) | To pioneer or introduce new methods or ideas. | “The company is breaking new ground with its revolutionary approach to data analytics.” |
| Game changer (n) | Something that has a significant impact on a situation or industry. | “The introduction of cloud computing was a game changer for the IT sector.” |
| Ride the wave (v) | To take advantage of a trend or favourable situation. | “Our startup is riding the wave of mobile app popularity to attract new users.” |
| Get up to speed (v) | To become familiar or catch up with the latest developments or information. | “The new employee needs to get up to speed with our project management software.” |
| Turnkey solution (n) | A product or service that is ready for immediate use without needing further adjustments. | “The turnkey solution provided by the software vendor saved us time and resources.” |
| Plug and play (adj) | Something, typically a device or system, that is easy to set up and use without additional configuration. | “The new printer is plug-and-play, so you can start using it right away.” |
| Learning curve (n) | The rate of progress in acquiring new knowledge or skills. | “There’s a steep learning curve when it comes to mastering the company’s proprietary software.” |
| Go pair shaped (v) | To go wrong or fail unexpectedly. | “The software update went pear-shaped, causing our systems to crash.” |
| Code monkey (n) | A derogatory term for a programmer or software developer. | “Don’t underestimate him; he’s not just a code monkey, he’s a skilled engineer.” |
| Put out fires (v) | To deal with urgent or unexpected problems or crises as they arise. | “Our IT support team spent the entire day putting out fires after the server went down.” |
| Bump in the road (n) | A minor obstacle or setback in a plan or project. | “Encountering a few bumps in the road is normal when implementing new software.” |
| Put a band aid on it (v) | To temporarily fix or address a problem without solving it completely. | “We had to put a band-aid on the software glitch until the developers could release a permanent fix.” |
| Put a square peg in a round hole (v) | To try to fit something where it doesn’t belong, resulting in an awkward or ineffective situation. | “Using a generic software solution for our specialized industry felt like putting a square peg in a round hole.” |
| Trojan horse (n) | Something that appears harmless but is actually malicious or harmful. | “The email attachment turned out to be a Trojan horse, infecting our systems with malware.” |
| Top notch (adj) | Of the highest quality or excellence. | “Our IT team delivered a top-notch solution that exceeded our expectations.” |
| Go viral (v) | To spread rapidly and widely, especially on the internet. | “The marketing campaign went viral, attracting millions of views and shares on social media.” |
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