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Tag: Business meetings idioms

  • Wind Down

    🗓️ Idiom: Wind Down (v)

    💬 Meaning

    • Gradually relax or reduce activity after something is finished
    • To bring something to a gentle or gradual close

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • “After the conference, we took a few days to wind down.”
    • “The meeting began to wind down after all key topics were covered.”
    • “Let’s wind down with a casual team lunch.”

    🏛️ Origin

    The idiom “wind down” comes from the operation of a device like a clock or a toy that runs by a spring. When the spring is “wound up,” the device runs, and as it “winds down,” it gradually slows and stops.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    After such a busy week, it’s important to take some time to __________.

    Answer

    wind down


    2. Choose the correct meaning of “wind down”:

    A) Start something new
    B) Relax or reduce activity
    C) Rush to meet a deadline

    Answer

    B) Relax or reduce activity


    3. Rewrite the sentence using “wind down”:

    “Let’s relax a bit after the presentation.”

    Answer

    Let’s wind down after the presentation.

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  • Wrap Things Up

    🗓️ Idiom: Wrap (something) Up (v)

    💬 Meaning

    • Finish or complete something
    • Bring a task, activity, or discussion to a close

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • “Let’s wrap this meeting up so we can head to lunch.”
    • “We should wrap this task up by 5 p.m. to stay on schedule.”
    • “The manager asked them to wrap everything up and submit the report.”

    🏛️ Origin

    The idiom “wrap things up” comes from wrapping a package or an object to prepare it for completion or delivery. Finishing something like a presentation is, “wrapping up”.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    It’s getting late, time to ________ the meeting ______.

    Answer

    wrap the meeting up


    2. Choose the correct meaning of “wrap things up”:

    A) Begin a conversation
    B) Conclude an activity
    C) Take a break

    Answer

    B) Conclude an activity


    3. Rewrite the sentence using “wrap _____ up:

    “Let’s finish our discussion soon.”

    Answer

    Let’s wrap our discussion up soon.

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  • Get Down To Brass Tacks

    🗓️ Idiom: Get Down to Brass Tacks (v)

    💬 Meaning

    • To start discussing the most important or basic facts.
    • To focus on the main details and not waste time.

    🧠 Example Sentences

    • Let’s get down to brass tacks and talk about the budget.
    • After some small talk, they got down to brass tacks and negotiated the deal.
    • We need to stop talking around the problem and get down to brass tacks.

    🏛️ Origin

    This idiom likely comes from 1800s America. In stores that sold fabric, people used brass tacks on the counter to measure cloth. “Getting down to brass tacks” meant getting to the real measurement — or the most important part.

    📝 Practice Exercises

    1. Fill in the blank:

    We’ve talked enough now. It’s time to __________ and make a decision.

    Answer

    get down to brass tacks

    2. Choose the correct meaning of “get down to brass tacks”:

    A) To avoid details
    B) To focus on the main details
    C) To decorate a report

    Answer

    B) To focus on the main details

    3. Rewrite the sentence using Get down to Brass tacks”:

    “Let’s talk about the details.”

    Answer

    Let’s get down to brass tacks.

    ℹ️ Other Useful Pages

    📚 Learning Resources
    👉 Business Meetings Idioms
    👉 Business English Idioms List

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    👉 Tutor Toolkit