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Here, we look at what some of the strangest English phrases mean – and reveal their origins…

Bite the bullet

Biting a bullet? What a strange thing to do! This phrase means you’re going to force yourself to do something unpleasant or deal with a difficult situation. Historically, it derives from the 19th century when a patient or soldier would clench a bullet between their teeth to cope with the extreme pain of surgery without anesthetic. A similar phrase with a similar meaning, “chew a bullet”, dates to the late 18th century.

Use it: “I don’t really want to exercise today, but I’ll bite the bullet and go for a run.”

Pigs might fly

We all know that pigs can’t fly, so people use this expression to describe something that is almost certain never to happen. It is said that this phrase has been in use since the 1600s, but why pigs? An early version of the succinct “pigs might fly” was “pigs fly with their tails forward”, which is first found in a list of proverbs in the 1616 edition of John Withals’s English-Latin dictionary, A Shorte Dictionarie for Yonge Begynners: “Pigs fly in the ayre with their tayles forward.” Other creatures have been previously cited in similar phrases – “snails may fly”, “cows might fly”, etc, but it is pigs that have stood the test of time as the favored image of an animal that is particularly unsuited to flight! This phrase is also often used as a sarcastic response to mock someone’s credulity.

Use it: “I might clean my bedroom tomorrow.” – “Yes, and pigs might fly.”

Bob’s your uncle

Even if you don’t have an uncle called Bob, you might still hear this idiom! Its origin comes from when Arthur Balfour was unexpectedly promoted to Chief Secretary for Ireland by the Prime Minister of Britain, Lord Salisbury, in 1900. Salisbury was Arthur Balfour’s uncle (possibly his reason for getting the job!) – and his first name was Robert. This phrase is used when something is accomplished or successful – an alternative to “…and that’s that”.

Use it: “You’re looking for the station? Take a left, then the first right and Bob’s your uncle – you’re there!”

Dead ringer

This phrase commonly refers to something that seems to be a copy of something – mainly if someone looks like another person. The often-repeated story about the origin of this phrase is that many years ago, people were sometimes buried alive because they were presumed dead – when actually they were still alive. To prevent deaths by premature burial, a piece of string would supposedly be tied to the finger of someone being buried – and the other end would be attached to a bell above ground. If the person woke up, they would ring the bell – and the “dead” ringer would emerge looking exactly like someone buried only a few hours ago! Other stories point to the practice of replacing slower horses with faster horses – “ringers”. In this case, “dead” means “exact”.

Use it: “That guy over there is a dead ringer for my ex-boyfriend.”

Off the back of a lorry

This is a way of saying that something was acquired that is probably stolen, or someone is selling something that’s stolen or illegitimate. It can also be used humorously to emphasize that something you bought was so cheap that it must have been stolen! “Lorry” is the British version – in the US, things fall off the back of “trucks”. An early printed version of this saying came surprisingly late in The Times in 1968. However, there are many anecdotal reports of the phrase in the UK from much earlier than that, and it is likely to date back to at least World War II. It’s just the sort of language that those who peddled illegal goods during and after WWII would have used.

Use it: “I can’t believe these shoes were so cheap – they must have fallen off the back of a lorry.”

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From “blue-sky thinking” to “lots of moving parts”, there are many phrases used in the office that sometimes seem to make little sense in a work environment. These phrases are known as ‘work jargon’ – or you might hear it referred to as ‘corporate jargon’, ‘business jargon’ or ‘management speak’. It’s a type of language generally used by a profession or group in the workplace, and has been created and evolved over time. And whether people use this work jargon to sound impressive or to disguise the fact that they are unsure about the subject they are talking about, it’s much simpler and clearer to use plain English. This will mean that more people understand what they are saying –��both fluent and second-language English speakers.

The preference for plain English stems from the desire for communication to be clear and concise. This not only helps fluent English speakers to understand things better, but it also means that those learning English pick up a clearer vocabulary. This is particularly important in business, where it’s important that all colleagues feel included as part of the team and can understand what is being said. This, in turn, helps every colleague feel equipped with the information they need to do their jobs better, in the language they choose to use.

Here, we explore some of the most common examples of English jargon at work that you might hear and suggest alternatives you can use…

Blue-sky thinking

This refers to ideas that are not limited by current thinking or beliefs. It’s used to encourage people to be more creative with their thinking. The phrase could be confusing as co-workers may wonder why you’re discussing the sky in a business environment.

Instead of: “This is a new client, so we want to see some blue-sky thinking.”

Try saying: “This is a new client, so don’t limit your creativity.”

Helicopter view

This phrase is often used to mean a broad overview of the business. It comes from the idea of being a passenger in a helicopter and being able to see a bigger view of a city or landscape than if you were simply viewing it from the ground.��Second-language English speakers might take the phrase literally, and be puzzled as to why someone in the office is talking about taking a helicopter ride.

Instead of: “Here’s a helicopter view of the business.”

Try saying: “This is a broad view of the business.”

Get all your ducks in a row

This is nothing to do with actual ducks; it simply means to be organized. While we don’t exactly know the origin of this phrase, it probably stems from actual ducklings that walk in a neat row behind their parents.

Instead of: “This is a busy time for the company, so make sure you get all your ducks in a row.”

Try saying: “This is a busy time for the company, so make sure you’re as organized as possible.”

Thinking outside the box

Often used to encourage people to use novel or creative thinking. The phrase is commonly used when solving problems or thinking of a new concept. The idea is that, if you’re inside a box, you can only see those walls and that might block you from coming up with the best solution.

Instead of: “The client is looking for something extra special, so try thinking outside the box.”

Try saying: “The client is looking for something extra special, so try thinking of something a bit different to the usual work we do for them.”

IGUs (Income Generating Units)

A college principal alerted us to this one – it refers to his students. This is a classic example of jargon when many more words are used than necessary.

Instead of: “This year, we have 300 new IGUs.”

Try saying: “This year, we have 300 new students.”

Run it up the flagpole

Often followed by “…and see if it flies” or “…and see if anyone salutes it”, this phrase is a way of asking someone to suggest an idea and see what the reaction is.

Instead of: “I love your idea, run it up the flagpole and see if it flies.”

Try saying: “I love your idea, see what the others think about it.”

Swim lane

A visual element – a bit like a flow chart –  that distinguishes a specific responsibility in a business organization. The name for a swim lane diagram comes from the fact that the information is broken up into different sections – or “lanes” – a bit like in our picture above.

Instead of: “Refer to the swim lanes to find out what your responsibilities are.”

Try saying: “Refer to the diagram/chart to find out what your responsibilities are.”

Bleeding edge

A way to describe something that is innovative or cutting edge. It tends to imply an even greater advancement of technology that is almost so clever that it is unbelievable in its current state.

Instead of: “The new technology we have purchased is bleeding edge.”

Try saying: “The new technology we have purchased is innovative.”

Tiger team

A tiger team is a group of experts brought together for a single project or event. They’re often assembled to assure management that everything is under control, and the term suggests strength.

Instead of: “The tiger team will solve the problem.” 

Try saying: “The experts will solve the problem.” 

Lots of moving parts

When a project is complicated, this phrase is sometimes used to indicate lots is going on.

Instead of: “This project will run for several months and there are lots of moving parts to it.”

Try saying: “This project will run for several months and it will be complicated.”

A paradigm shift

Technically, this is a valid way to describe changing how you do something and the model you use. The word “paradigm” (pronounced “para-dime”) is an accepted way or pattern of doing something. So the “shift” part means that a possible new way has been discovered. Second-language English speakers however, might not be familiar with the meaning and might be confused about what it actually means.

Instead of: “To solve this problem, we need a paradigm shift.”

Try saying: To solve this problem; we need to think differently.”