SAMUEL H., engineer in the aerospace industry, is mad about discovering new idioms.
To understand English as spoken in real life, you should be familiar with idioms. Native speakers often use them in business situations too, so it’s important that you can understand them.
Here are some idioms you may hear during international meetings. Can you match them to their meanings?
1 We’re talking at cross purposes
2 I can only give you a ballpark figure
3 We can call it a day
4 We could kill two birds with one stone
5 That’s out of the question
a It’s absolutely impossible
b Let’s finish
c Let’s solve two problems with one action
d I only have a rough estimate
e We’re talking about different things
Answer Key
1/e We’re talking at cross purposes / We’re talking about different things
2/d I can only give you a ballpark figure / I only have a rough estimate
3/b We can call it a day / Let’s finish
4/c We could kill two birds with one stone / Let’s solve two problems with one action
5/a That’s out of the question / It’s absolutely impossible
2/d I can only give you a ballpark figure / I only have a rough estimate
3/b We can call it a day / Let’s finish
4/c We could kill two birds with one stone / Let’s solve two problems with one action
5/a That’s out of the question / It’s absolutely impossible