Uploaded August 2012 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago

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HansenCommLab.com
SpeakGlobalEnglish.org

Speak Global English Video Series
Part 18:
Idiotic Idioms

Every language has idioms -- fixed expressions whose meaning is not immediately obvious from looking at the words used.

Idioms have become so common in business communication that we often don't even know that we're using them.

Some great examples are:
Get the ball rolling
a fish out of water
take a rain check
Bang for the buck and
the home stretch

Some of these might be familiar to you -- others, maybe not.

Idioms rarely cross languages, and quite often don't even cross cultures. English is spoken in the US and the UK, but there are idioms on each side of the Atlantic that are not used on the other side, or the same idioms can mean very different things in each culture.

This is why I say that idioms are idiotic. If you want to communicate in international environments, try to eliminate idioms from your speech. It's harder than you think, but your listeners will thank you for it.

If you'd like to improve the way people in your company speak Global English, visit HansenCommLab.com for information on training opportunities. Or, come join the revolution at http://www.SpeakGlobalEnglish.org.