This is the first in a two-part Business English Pod series on idioms related to gambling.

As gambling involves money and risk, it’s not surprising that we use gambling idioms in business. The verb “gamble” itself is very common. We often talk about “gambling” money on an idea or “taking a gamble” to mean taking a risk. Another very common one is “bet,” both as a verb and a noun. When we gamble, we “bet” money in the hopes of winning and getting more money back. In a way, business is one big bet.

In English, gambling idioms come from a few common types of gambling. Card games, especially poker, and horse racing give us the most idiomatic expressions, but we also get some from games such as dice and marbles.

In this lesson, we’ll hear a conversation between Kevin and Dan, two colleagues who are talking about investing. Kevin actively invests in the stock market, while Dan is more cautious and usually avoids risk.

Listening Questions

1. Which person thinks that luck is important in investing?
2. What did Kevin do when the stock market crashed?
3. What does Kevin want to tell Dan about at the end of the conversation?

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This is the second in a two-part Business English Pod lesson on football and soccer idioms.

The World Cup kicks off in just a few days. That gives us some time to look at some more idioms related to football.

Since sports and business are so similar, it’s easy to see how there could be so many related idioms. Companies are like teams; employees are like players. Ideas are like balls that get kicked around. Success is like scoring a goal. And there’s always plenty of competition.

In the last lesson, Marilyn and Karl, two colleagues at a publishing firm, discussed Karl’s interest in a manager’s job at the firm’s Sydney branch. Karl isn’t completely sure it’s the right move for him and has asked for Marilyn’s feedback. Today, we’ll hear more of their conversation, as Karl explains his hesitation about applying.

Listening Questions

1. How does Karl’s wife feel about moving to Sydney?
2. Why does Karl feel like he’s cheating on his own company?
3. What advice does Marilyn give at the end of their conversation?

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This Business English Pod lesson is the first in a two-part series on idioms that come from football, or soccer.

It’s almost time for the World Cup! And as we wait for the games to kick off, here’s a question for you: Have you ever stopped to think about how many similarities there are between business and sports?

Groups of employees work together as teams. Teams, or companies, compete against each other, trying to win recognition, profits, or new clients. Given these similarities, it’s not surprising that language would be similar when we talk about business and sports. And a number of different sports have contributed idioms to the English language.

Today, our focus will be on football idioms. As you listen to the dialog, you might hear some phrases that are new to you. Remembering the relationship between business and sports may help you out. Of course, we’ll go over all of them in the debrief and you’ll have a chance to practice them, too.

We’ll be listening to Karl and Marilyn, two friends that work at a publishing firm. Karl is thinking about applying for a manager’s job at the company’s Sydney location. He’s not sure about it, though, so he asks Marilyn what she thinks.

Listening Questions

1. Why does Karl want to leave his current job?
2. What are two things Marilyn knows about the Sydney branch?
3. What has Karl heard about the Sydney branch?

Download: Podcast MP3