English Idioms And Phrases And Conference Calls

Introduction

Hello! It’s Kristine here with the Express to Impress podcast. This episode is part two of How to Lead Conference Calls. You will learn eight new English idioms and phrases. If English is your second language, expanding your English vocabulary will allow you to communicate better with native English speakers. 

You’ll also get some homework at the end so you can continue to improve your English communication skills. 

Don’t forget to subscribe to receive notifications whenever I release a new episode. You can subscribe anywhere you download podcasts like Apple Podcasts or my website at express-to-impress.com. 

Now, let’s begin!

English Idioms and Phrases

Blow Over

And yet, he had to continue leading the call, hoping, somehow, it would all blow over.

This phrasal verb refers to something gradually becoming less important until it ends and is forgotten.

Soldier On

But he soldiered on, hoping his coworkers didn’t hear what they surely heard. 

This phrasal verb means to continue doing something or trying to achieve something even though it is difficult. 

On the Dot

If your company culture is to start conference calls on the dot, be sure to start the call on time.

This idiom means exactly at an expected time.

Get the/this Show on the Road

 Let’s go ahead and get this show on the road. 

We use this informal idiom to indicate it’s time to begin an activity or journey.

Get Down to Business

Great, let’s get down to business. 

This idiom is similar to the previous one, but it’s more commonly used in business settings. We use this to indicate it’s time to start doing what needs to be done with the seriousness or determination it deserves.

Wear Many Hats

You’ll be wearing a lot of hats in the conference call. 

We say someone wears many hats or a lot of hats when they have many jobs or roles.

Wrap Up

Participants will appreciate you respecting their time, so be sure to wrap up on time.

Wrap up, in this context, means to finish.

Low-Hanging Fruit

We will move forward with cutting the low-hanging fruit from the budget, totaling $55,000. 

Low-hanging fruit is a noun that refers to the obvious and easy things you do to achieve success or make progress toward a goal. It’s the easy stuff. It’s the things that always work.

Now, I want to draw your attention to a mistake I made last week. The example I just mentioned is slightly different from what I said in last week’s episode. Last week, I said, “We will move forward with low hanging fruit cost cuts proposed, totaling $55,000.” I used “low hanging fruit” as an adjective, not a noun. My apologies! You should always use “low hanging fruit” as a noun. So, the correct version is, “We will move forward with cutting the low-hanging fruit from the budget, totaling $55,000.”

Alright! That’s all of the English Idioms and Phrases we’ll be talking about today.

How to Land Your Next Job Online Video Course

Many of my clients struggle to find job openings that are attainable during this challenging job market. When I ask how they are finding jobs, my clients often tell me they search for jobs on LinkedIn and Glassdoor. This approach to finding jobs only scratches the surface of the possible ways to learn about job openings. With this limited approach, it will take a long time to find and get a new job. 

The job search process should be like a research project, with the goal being to find out what job opportunities exist. You can find some of the answers on your own by searching the web, but other answers can only be found if you actively reach out to people who can help you. Some of the research can be completed alone on an electronic device, and other parts involve interacting with people. Besides finding jobs by searching sites online, you can enlist the help of research assistants, in this case, your professional network.

To enlist their help, you must inform others you’re looking for a job–online and in private conversations and messages. You must also make sure you’re in the right place at the right time to learn about job opportunities. And finally, you must build a strong online presence so that people contact you with job opportunities. With knowledge, skills, and practice, you will become a competent researcher and find the jobs you want! 

I dedicate one hour and four minutes to explain how to find jobs in my online course, “How to Find Your Next Job.” And I cover a lot! The lessons include 8 Common Job Search Mistakes, Where to Look for Jobs Strategically, Preparing to Search for Jobs, Networking, Searching for Jobs, and Applying for Jobs. These interactive lessons are packed full of helpful handouts, including an Employee Benefits Exercise, Employer Review Sites, Freelance Platforms, Job Search Introduction Exercise, Job Applications Tracker, Job Boards and Search Engines, Network Tracker, and a Top Companies Tracker.

To learn more and watch free previews, visit express-to-impress.com/courses. And as a loyal listener of the Express to Impress podcast, I want to off you 15% off the cost of the course with the coupon code podcast15. 

English Learning Homework

Alright, that’s all of the English idioms and phrases for today! Learning takes repetition and implementation. So, I’ll give you some homework! Listen to this episode again and repeat the words out loud. It will not only expand your English vocabulary but help you to improve your American pronunciation, listening skills, and intonation. You’ll be doing the Shadowing Technique! If you need a reminder about how to implement the Shadowing Technique, check out episode 15, Introducing the Shadowing Technique for English Learning.  

If there’s something I can do to support you, write me an email at hello@express-to-impress.com, and I’ll be happy to help out.

Thank you so much for listening to the Express to Impress podcast. If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a friend. See you next time. Bye!

 

Music by Lucas Knutter