Winning English - Mastering Idioms, Slang, and References
Wake-up call • Not out of the woods • Go back to the drawing board • Put every option on the table • Once bitten, twice shy • Pick someone's brain • Tried and true • Wait for the dust to settle
Today, I have a business conversation featuring several different idioms that you are likely to hear in business and casual contexts.
You and a colleague are meeting to discuss how to approach your investments for 2021.
You begin with, “Well, this year certainly was a wake-up call. We need to be ready for anything. And I certainly think we’re not out of the woods yet.”
“I agree,” your colleague says. “I feel like we have to go back to the drawing board. We have to put every option on the table. How about those new markets we discussed? Shall we do some direct investment there?”
Most people nowadays use alarms on their mobile phones to wake up, but in the past, travelers staying in hotels would often ask the concierge to call the room in the morning to wake them up. In other words, they would ask for a “wake-up call”. Nowadays this phrase is used in a slightly different way. A “wake-up call” is an unexpected event that surprises you and makes you realize that you need to change your plans or expectations. In the example above, 2020 was a “wake-up call” that made these two investors realize they needed to plan for unlikely, but dangerous, events.
When you are “not out of the woods”, it means that you are in danger. In the past, the woods could be filled with deadly animals, like wolves. Once you are “out of the woods”, you are safe.
“To go back to the drawing board” is a saying that comes from the worlds of architecture and design. Creative people sometimes sit at large tables - called “drawing boards” - to physically draw their ideas on paper. After getting feedback on those ideas, designers must “go back to the drawing board” to make changes. This saying has since come to be used for any time people realize they need to change their plans.
When you “put every option on the table”, it means you want to explore every possible idea to solve a problem. Picture the ideas being written on pieces of paper and spread out on a table.
Your conversation with your colleague continues.
“I don’t know,” you say. “Didn’t we invest in those markets about five years ago. It didn’t go well. Once bitten, twice shy.”
“I understand,” your colleague says. “But I read a report by a new analyst that has some interesting ideas. I plan to call her and pick her brain.”
“Okay,” you say. “Let me know what she says. Meanwhile, let’s plan on sticking with the tried and true until the dust settles.”
“Once bitten, twice shy” is a saying that means you were hurt by something in the past, and you don’t want to take the same risk again. Think of it this way: If a dog bites you once, you’ll be careful the second time you see that dog. The confusing part of this saying is the word “shy”. Don’t think of the literal definition. Think of it as a poetic way to say “careful”.
“To pick” someone’s “brain” means that you want to get his or her ideas on a topic.
“The tried and true” are things that have worked for us successfully in the past. The confusing part of this saying is the word “true”. True normally means not false, but it can also mean straight or perfect for your needs. A true piece of wood, for example, is perfect for making furniture. By the way, the verb “to stick” is often used with “tried and true”, like in the example.
Finally, if you’ve ever dusted your home, you know the dust can fill the air and float around. Eventually, the dust falls back to the ground, and the air is clear again. When you are “waiting for the dust to settle” in any situation, you are waiting for things become calm.
Thanks for reading Winning English! Remember to listen to the podcast, as well, to reinforce your learning. Remember to like the posts, leave a comment, and if you like what you read or hear, please tell a friend. Talk soon!
I’m waiting for the dust to settle on 2020...