5 Idioms used in Meetings in the UK

Have you ever been in a meeting where everyone’s nodding along and you think, “What did they just say?” If English isn’t your first language, you’ve probably experienced that feeling when colleagues use idiomatic phrases that don’t translate literally. These expressions are second nature to native speakers, but they can leave non-native speakers feeling confused and out of place.

In this post, I’ll decode five common idiomatic phrases you’re likely to hear in British business meetings. Understanding these will help you follow conversations more easily and feel more confident in professional settings.

Before we dive in, let’s clarify what we mean by “idiomatic phrases.” These are expressions that don’t make sense when you translate them word-for-word. A classic example is “learning English is a piece of cake” – we don’t literally mean cake, but rather that something is easy.

British professionals use these phrases constantly, often without realizing it, which can make meetings particularly challenging for non-native speakers.

Example conversation from a marketing meeting: “The campaign launch went well. I think we need to drill down into the performance metrics before we make any decisions about the next phase. Yes, I agree. Let’s analyze the regional data specifically.”

What it means: To examine something in much more detail or go deeper into the specifics.

How to remember it: Picture a road worker drilling deeper into the ground. Similarly, when you “drill down” into data, you’re looking at it in greater depth and detail.

Example from a project meeting: “There have been some major developments in the Johnson project this week, so I’d like to hear your thoughts on that first.” “Sorry, I’m completely out of the loop since I was away at the conference. Can you update me on what’s happened?”

What it means: You don’t have the latest information about something.

How to remember it: Imagine information flowing in a circle (or loop) between people. Anyone outside this loop doesn’t have the updated information. It’s not their fault – they simply haven’t been included in recent discussions.

Example from a sales meeting: “We need to increase revenue by 15% this quarter. Let’s start with the low hanging fruit – those clients who’ve already expressed interest but haven’t signed yet. Good idea. Those should be easy wins to start with.”

What it means: The easiest tasks or opportunities that require the least effort but still give results.

How to remember it: Think of picking apples from a tree. The low-hanging fruit is easiest to reach, while fruit at the top requires more effort. In business, it means starting with the simplest, most achievable tasks first.

Example from a strategy meeting: “I don’t think we can make a decision today. Let’s circle back on this next week when we have more information. Agreed. I’ll send out the research findings and we can discuss it again in Tuesday’s meeting.”

What it means: To return to discuss something later.

How to use it: A manager might say, “Can we circle back to that later when we have more time?” meaning they want to revisit the topic at a future time.

Example from a planning meeting: “The marketing campaign proposal looks good, but marketing isn’t on my radar right now. We need to finish the product launch and close the quarterly budget review first.”

What it means: Something you are aware of or paying attention to.

How to remember it: Think of an airplane’s radar screen. Everything on that screen is detectable by the pilot. If something’s “on your radar,” you’re aware of it and thinking about it. If it’s not on your radar, you’re not considering it at the moment.

Here’s an extra challenge. Can you work out the meaning from this context?

“The contract is almost ready, but we need to dot the i’s and cross the t’s before we send it to the client.”

What it means: To check everything very carefully and make sure all the details are correct and nothing is missing.

Where it comes from: When writing by hand, you dot the letter ‘i’ and cross the letter ‘t’ to complete these letters properly.

Now that you know these phrases, here’s your challenge: Listen carefully during your next few meetings and see if you can spot any of these idiomatic expressions. Note them down and try to work out their meaning from the context before looking them up.

You might be surprised how often they come up once you start paying attention!

Remember, these phrases are simply different ways of expressing common business concepts. Once you understand their meaning, you’ll start hearing them everywhere. Don’t worry if you don’t feel comfortable using them right away – the most important thing is understanding what they mean when others speak.

The best approach is to use context clues to figure out meanings before asking colleagues or looking up definitions. This active learning process will help you gain a deeper understanding of both the phrases and how to use them naturally in your own conversations.

If you’re looking for support to develop your communications and confidence in English, consider working with a coach who can help identify your specific patterns and create a targeted improvement plan.

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