12 Job Idioms and phrases in English | Improve your speaking skills

Hi there, this is teacher Harry and welcome back  to my English lessons where I try to help you to  

get a better understanding of the English  language. So that you can communicate with  

your friends, your colleagues. Perhaps even get  through those first few stages of job interviews.  

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details at the end. So what do we want to talk  to you about today? What's the lesson about?

Well, this is all about job idioms. Or you can  also refer to it as idioms connected with work  

because the word job and work they're  synonymous for each other. What do you  

work as? What's your job? They mean exactly  the same. So we're talking about job idioms.  

Okay. So as always, I'm going to run down  through these individual idioms one by one,  

and I'm going to go back over them and  give you some examples so that you can  

get a better understanding of how to  use them and what exactly they mean.

So here we go.

To learn the ropes.

Carry the can.

Burn the candle at both ends.

Cushy number, very British English, cushy number.

Hanging by a thread. Hanging by a thread.

To get the sack.

Get the boot.

Off the hook.

Go with the flow.

A tall order.

Up to the mark and

then finally rat race.  

Okay, so let's go down to them one by one.  As I said, I'll give you some examples.

So the first one is to learn the ropes. learn  the ropes. This comes from a sailing or nautical  

type of reference because ropes are something  we use when people are sailing. I don't sail,  

but when people sail on yachts and boats they have  to tie up the boat in a certain way. They have to  

pull certain ropes to get the sails to move. So  to learn the ropes is when you're trying to learn  

how to sail. So we use this now in a reference to  job and work. So when we're learning the ropes, we  

are learning the job for the first time. So you go  in perhaps for an early induction course or some  

type of training, where they teach you what you  have to know. And that way they hope that after  

a few weeks or months, you will have learned the  ropes and you'll know what to do on your own.

So somebody would have a conversation, 'He'll be  fine. Just give him a few weeks to learn the ropes  

and then he'll be as good as anybody else. He's  got a bright future here.' So to learn the ropes  

to understand what you have to do, to understand  the business and then when you're off on your own,  

you can get out there and show them  what you can do. So to learn the ropes.

Next is to carry the can. Okay. Carry the can. A  can, can be a can of petrol. So we have something  

that we put water into or petrol or something else  so we fill it up and it can be quite heavy. So  

we call it a can of petrol can of water so to  carry the can. Okay, so the can in this way is the  

the noun not can as a modal verb. The can that  you put, as I said, water and petrol into. So when  

somebody has to carry the can, it means  that somebody has to take the blame for  

something that goes wrong. Normally, it's  the boss, but it might not always be.

So if something happens in the office,  something goes wrong with an order,  

we lose a client or a customer, whatever that  might be, somebody will say, 'Well, somebody is  

going to have to carry the can for this mistake.  So who's going to take responsibility?' So  

carrying the can is taking responsibility  taking the responsibility for a mistake, taking  

the responsibility for something that's gone  wrong, so he or she will have to carry the can.

And somebody might complain, 'Oh, I always  have to carry the can. Why can't somebody else  

make these key decisions? Why can't  somebody else step in instead of me?' Well,  

that's what you get paid for. You're  the boss you have to carry the can.

Next is to burn the candle at both ends. Normally,  if you want to light the candle whether it's a  

candle on your birthday cake or it's a candle  to read by or candle for deco decoration you  

you're light it with a cigarette lighter  or a match lighter at the top, okay.

So you're you're burning it  at one end and the candle  

will generally lower okay. But if we lit  the candle at both ends, it would burn  

into the middle. So when we use the expression to  burn the candle at both ends, what it really means  

is somebody is working hard during  the day and playing hard at nighttime.

So, guy gets up at six o'clock, has his breakfast,  goes to work gets there for eight o'clock,  

works hard until six o'clock comes home, has a  bite to eat, goes out on the town with his friends  

parties as a real party animal  for several days of the week.  

And by the end of the week,  he's completely exhausted.

And his mother or father said, 'Well, what do you  expect? You're burning the candle at both ends.'  

meaning you're working hard, but you're  also playing hard so something will give,  

something will happen. Either your work will  start to deteriorate and that will be a problem,  

or you'll get totally exhausted and you'll get  ill so be really careful. You shouldn't burn  

the candle at both ends. Go at the weekends,  but keep Monday to Friday free so that you're  

just focused on your job. Don't  burn the candle at both ends. Okay,  

so burning the candle at both ends,  playing hard, partying hard, okay.

The next expression is a real British English  expression at cushy number. Cushy is a very,  

very slang word to mean easy, okay? Okay, so if  somebody says to you, 'Oh, it's a cushy number,'  

it means it's an easy number, it means it's  a relatively easy job. Okay, so somebody has  

a cushy number who doesn't have to start work  until 10am. And he leaves work at five o'clock.

Or perhaps he gets a review every three months  and is getting bonuses and increases in his  

salary on a regular basis, but doesn't seem to  be doing a lot of work. Or perhaps he goes off on  

lots of interesting trips and the hotel expenses  are paid by his company, whatever it might be his

friends say, 'Ha, Harry is a real cushy  number, that guy. Have you seen what he  

does or in fact, what he doesn't do?  And he still gets paid, he gets paid  

more than we do. So he's on a cushy number.'  It's a real cushy number meaning as a really  

easy job. And as I said, it's very British  English, not something you're likely to hear  

in an American movie. But if you're watching BBC,  or some BBC productions or British made movies,  

then you're likely to hear that  reference to or it's a cushy number.

Next expression an idiom is hanging by a thread  when a thread is a little piece of material  

or a little piece of something you stitched  the seam on your jumper Okay, I haven't got  

one here. Thankfully, I have actually found  one. So this little thing here we can see it  

that is a thread little tiny  little thing, the blue thing here  

that is a thread so when something is hanging by  a thread, it means it's about to break off. Yeah,  

okay, because this thread here isn't very  strong. And if I pull it, it will break.

Okay, so when something is hanging by a thread,  it means it's, it's likely to break so if your  

job is hanging via thread, it might mean you're  on a little bit of thin ice where you know,

you've probably had a warning from your  boss if you don't improve your work,  

I'm going to have to fire, or we're going to have  to let you go. Or if you don't improve your work,  

we'd have to move you to another  department and you'll lose all your  

your benefits. Okay, so your future or the  future in that company is hanging by a thread.

Okay, now it could also be relating  to an account you're trying to get  

a big account and the decision is hanging  by a thread. You're not sure whether  

you've done enough to attract the customer.  You're not sure whether you've done enough to  

make it attractive enough for them to come to  your company. So it's all hanging by a thread,  

it could go either way. Yeah, so 50/50. It  might come our way it might not, it's hanging  

by a thread. So hanging by a thread some really  little small thing that that connects you and  

if it breaks well that's it. That's the  end of the story. Hanging by a thread.

The next two I'm going to take together to get the  sack and to get the boot Okay, so these are both  

references to losing your job and again they're  very informal ways to refer to it Okay, so the  

more formal ways are lose your job or to be made  redundant. Okay, so they have much more formal  

ways. But when we talk about getting the sack or  getting the boot, it means that the job has gone.

Okay, so if the company has to downsize  because things are not going so well  

then somebody is going to get the sack.  Or somebody is going to get the boot.  

Or if your performance hasn't been up  to scratch, you haven't done as well as  

they thought you would, or you you don't meet the  requirements anymore. Well and yes, you could get  

the sack or get the boot. Okay, so when you hear  references to get in the sack, it's not good news.

Yeah, so or we had a terrible time last  year. You know, those accounts that we lost,  

somebody's gonna have to pay for that somebody  will get sack, I hope it's not me that gets the  

boot; I can't afford to do without my job.  I've got a wife and family to support. So  

I hope it's nobody but at worst, I hope it's  not me. Okay, so to get the sack to get the boot  

to lose the job, you can also refer to getting  fired, which is another way to say it. So,  

you know, often people get fired and people  get fired all the time, whether it's because  

of something they've done, or because of just  downsizing as we referred to before, but they're

all references to job losses, get  fired, get the sack, get the boot.  

And even you can even give somebody the elbow,  which is another way to refer to the elbows,  

that pointed part of your arm and  when you give somebody the elbow,  

you push them out the way or you  you push them out of the company.

Okay, so I got the elbow last week, I'm gonna have  to look for another job. I didn't like it anyway,  

but it's never nice when it happened. So get the  elbow, get the sack, get the boot or get fired.

The next job idiom I have is off the  hook. To be off the hook. The hook  

is a thing that you might put behind the  door to put your coat on. Or it might be  

the hook they have in the kitchen to hang your  your mug or your cups on. Okay, so it's a hook  

and you put it on there. So when you're off the  hook, it means that you're no longer attached  

to it. Okay? So if there's a problem in in work,  and they're looking around to see what happened,  

they're investigating the files are looking at the  emails, who took the call, who was the last one in  

touch with the client. So in some way, they're  trying to find out who was responsible for  

whatever happened. And they check your emails  and they they check everything and say, Well,  

look, you're off the hook, meaning it's not your  responsibility. So when you're off the hook,  

you're no longer responsible for something  okay? That you can be on the hook for something.

So the boss comes around and he's looking  for somebody to work overtime on Thursday,  

Friday and probably Saturday and say off God, here  we go again. I only did it last month. Why is it  

always me? And then on the Thursday morning, the  boss, the boss comes to you said good news, you're  

off the hook for this weekend. I've got somebody  else to do it. So I don't need you on on Thursday,  

Friday, Saturday, thanks a lot, but we'll get  you again when we when we need to do it. Okay,  

so you were initially on the hook because they  had identified you as the person to do the work.  

And then the boss comes and tells you, 'Well, I  found somebody else. So don't worry, you're off  

the hook,' meaning you're free to do what you  want. So when you're off the hook, you're free,

just think of it as if you go fishing, okay, and  so when you put your fishing rod into the water,  

and if the fish takes the bait, it's on  the hook and you've got it and then you  

bring it in and you catch the fish, okay, but  if the fish gets the food and escapes, he's  

off the hook. Okay, he's gone so you can't  catch him. Okay, so we'll compare that to  

the example I've given then you should be  able to understand the expression of the hook.

Next idiom is to go with the flow, this is  a very popular expression the moment to go  

with the flow. Now the flow is  the way the air stream is going  

or the way the water in the river is  going. Okay? So you don't want to swim  

against the flow of the water in the river because  it's very tiring but when you go with the flow,  

it makes it much much easier. Okay, so when  somebody from a job point of view tells you  

just go with the flow, it means just accept  the way things are, life will be a lot easier.

So if you're always arguing with the boss, why  me Why do I have to do this? Why is it always me,  

then you're always fighting and you're everybody  gets a perhaps a bad impression of you. And it  

makes life a little bit difficult. But if you  just go with the flow, and the boss says, Well,  

you know, can you work late at night? Ah, sure,  no problem. At least you get paid for it? And  

will you mind staying for a little bit longer  during your lunch hour? Or can you change your  

lunch hour? Just go with the flow go with what  the boss wants, it will make life a lot easier,  

okay? Or if the customer is looking for something  to be changed? There's no point arguing with them  

because the customer is always right. Okay, so  if we go with the flow, except what the customer  

says, Okay, I'll check it out. I'll come back  to you and make sure it doesn't happen again,  

all the nice soft words go with the flow so that  the customer feels at ease. So when we go with the  

flow, life becomes a whole lot easier. Okay? So  it's the same in any part of life, whether it's  

in family life and school life, but here when  we're talking about work, to go with the flow  

is to do what other people do. Okay? Just follow  them. If they take their lunch and and only have  

30 minutes or 40 minutes, and  perhaps you need to do that as well,  

that they're not late in the mornings, then  that's what you should do. as well, so you go  

with the flow, you follow other people, and then  life becomes a lot easier. Okay, go with the flow.

Our next idiom is a tall order. Tall being  the height. Yeah. So when something is a tall  

order, it means you're not quite sure whether  it's true or whether it's achievable. Okay? So  

if somebody comes and asks you for what you think

is the impossible, I said, well, that's, that's  a tall order, how am I supposed to do it in that  

time? So, you know, the boss, again, might say,  Well, look, we've got a deadline to complete this  

order by Wednesday, of next week. And you know,  today's already Friday, so, you know, Saturday  

and Sunday out. So really, you're going to have  to get the work done on Monday and Tuesday, so we  

can guaranteed to get it out the door and get it  delivered to the client by close of business on on  

Wednesday. And you look at your, your colleagues,  and they look at you and think that it's going to  

take us forever to do that. I mean, that's a real  tall order. I mean, you know, so many pallets,  

so many boxes. And do we even have that in stock?  Something that's probably not achievable? Okay.

It's a bit like trying to climb Mount Everest,  it's a real tall order, because you look at it  

and think, well, how many people actually achieve  that. So a tall order from a work perspective  

is something that is a little bit further away  than you thought a little bit out of your grasp.  

And something that's not quite achievable,  perhaps you'll do it, but it's a tall order.

And next, we have the expression up to the  mark. And somebody might ask the question Is he  

or she really up to the mark, and a mark can  be literally, a pencil line or a mark can be  

the barrier of set or the bar that you've set to  measure people against? What is the performance  

of that individual? Or those individuals? Yeah?  Are they really up to the mark? Means can they  

come up to our expectations? Okay, so asking  the question, is he or is she up to the mark?  

Are they up to the standards that we have  set? Are these the right people for the job?

So often, the reason why people have to go through  a probationary period, so they have a period  

of three months or six months, or whatever the  probationary period happens to be where they join  

the company. And within that period of probation,  the boss can decide, well, no, they're not up to  

the mark, they're not going to make the cut. You  know, let's just cut our losses here, and we'll  

find somebody else, or alternatively, hopefully,  and you're approved to be up to the mark up to the  

job that you've you've been hired to do, then once  you get through to the end of the probationary  

period, your job becomes permanent. And then it's  much more difficult for employers to give you the  

boot or to give you the sack Yeah. Okay. So to  be up to the mark is to make sure that you go  

either up to eight or beyond to show the bosses  that you can achieve what they want, you can  

get to that level you do you have the skill  levels to to do the work. So to be up to the mark.

I'm really up to the mark. Yeah. So they,  they asked me lots of questions. They  

asked me how to do this, I was able to  answer them, they asked me how I would  

solve that problem. I was able to answer them.  So yeah, I think I am up to the mark. Okay.

Finally, in this particular idiom about jobs,  we're talking about the rat race. And this is a  

very, very well used idiom. And I think many and  most people that will be watching and listening  

will have heard of the rat race. So the rat  race, literally his rats put in a tube, and  

they're encouraged with a bit of smell of food,  or a little bit of food to run through the tube.  

And people bet money to see which rat is going  to win first. Yeah, okay. And rats keep running  

and running and running. But we refer to the rat  race as this eternal push to try and get better  

and better and faster and faster. So when we're  talking to our friends are, we're all in this,  

this rat race means we're all running and running.  We're just running to keep up. Yeah. So it's like  

on a treadmill, it goes round and round and round.  And if you stop, you're going to fall off. Okay?

So when you're in the rat race, you have to, you  have to keep running, even if you don't want to,  

okay, so the whole issue about technology is  making our lives move faster. We've got our  

mobile phones, we've got our laptops, we've got  a WhatsApp we have every application you could  

possibly think of. And what does it do, of  course, makes a life a little bit easier in  

terms of contacting people, but people know where  you are all the time, as your bosses know, your  

colleagues know. So you're forever in this rat  race, I have to do better, I have to get promoted,  

I have to get a salary increase, I have to take  the boss's job, I have to find another job and  

so on and so forth. So when you're part of the rat  race. You don't really notice it when you step out  

or off and you look at everybody else going 100  miles an hour, then you really look at this and  

think it really is a rat race and it's it's not so  enjoyable. Okay, so the rat race is what we're in  

our daily slog of getting up at five or six in  the morning, dragging ourselves to the office,  

getting through that working day, waiting and  praying and hoping for the weekend to come around  

very, very quickly. And then yeah, it all starts  again on Sunday evening. Okay, so we are all part  

of the rat race, or we have all been part of the  rat race at some time in our lives. And it's one  

of those eternal treadmills has gone round and  round and round. So welcome to the rat race.

Okay, well that's the the idioms about  jobs. I hope you've enjoyed them. I hope  

my examples explain exactly what we're talking  about. As I said before, make sure that you  

subscribe to our channel and you'll always  get to listen to me on the podcast and if  

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I can include where you're having some problems,  and it will help you help your friends and help  

all the people out there. Okay, well,  this is teacher Harry and join me again.