Liven up your language with idioms
Mit diesen Redewendungen machen Sie Ihre Sprache viel lebendiger.
You can liven up your business language by using idioms. In this test, all the idioms are connected with the sea or sailing.
How many do you know? Choose the right word in each sentence.
Questions
1 Four new personal assistants have come on board / deck / ship this year.
2 I wonder how long it will take them to learn the winds / cap- tain / ropes.
3 The new CEO runs a very tidy / old / tight ship.
4 After losing so much money last year, the company decided to change route / tack / sailors.
5 Opening a new factory is not going to be all light / plain / fast sailing.
Answers
1 board. To come on board means to join the team.
2 ropes. Sailors have to learn the ropes, which means know which ropes are attached to which sail. In a business environment, learning the ropes means learning how the company operates.
3 tight. A tight ship is a ship where everything is well-organised.
4 tack. This means to change course.
5 plain. Plain sailing means clear, easy.