BEP 175 – English Idioms: Gambling Idioms (Part 1)

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?

Premium Members: PDF Transcript | Online Practice | PhraseCast

Download: Podcast MP3

BEP 164 – Football and Soccer Idioms (Part 2)

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?

Premium Members: PDF Transcript | Quizzes | PhraseCast | Lesson Module

Download: Podcast MP3

BEP 163 – Football and Soccer Idioms (Part 1)

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?

Premium Members: PDF Transcript | Quizzes | PhraseCast | Lesson Module

Download: Podcast MP3

BEP 146 – Money Idioms (Part 2)

This is the second of a two-part Business English Pod series on idioms related to money.

Many of our day-to-day business transactions involve money, so it’s common to hear money idioms used frequently in business discussions. We use them to talk about handling money and to describe situations with lots of money or no money at all. But we also use them to talk about situations that have nothing to do with money – such as evaluating ideas or speculating on their impact.

In the last episode, we met Kevin and Leah, two employees at a cosmetics company. They’re planning a promotional campaign on a small budget. So they’re brainstorming ideas that will spark customer interest at a reasonable cost.

Now, they’re thinking of ways to show that their company’s cosmetics line is good value for money-conscious consumers.

Listening Questions

1. What idea does Kevin suggest at the beginning of the dialog?
2. What are two things the company will have to do if it accepts Kevin’s idea?
3. What are Leah’s concerns about the idea?

Premium Members: PDF Transcript | Online Practice | PhraseCast

Download: Podcast MP3

BEP 145 – Money Idioms (Part 1)

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

It’s difficult to imagine business without money. After all, making money is the main goal of many businesses. Profits often determine a company’s success. And companies must spend money, and budget carefully, to reach their business goals. So, it’s not surprising money idioms are featured regularly in business conversations.

We’ll be covering many of these idioms today. Take note of them as you hear the dialog, but don’t worry if you don’t understand them the first time around. They’ll all be explained in the debrief and you’ll have a chance to practice them at the end.

We’ll be listening to Kevin and Leah, two colleagues at a mid-sized cosmetics company. Cosmetics is the industry name for make-up – products used to enhance a person’s appearance, such as mascara or eye shadow. They are discussing promotional plans for the coming year while working on a tight budget, so there isn’t much money to spend. Kevin and Leah don’t agree on the best way to spend the money and must find a compromise.

Listening Questions

1. What promotional plan does Kevin suggest?
2. Does Leah agree with this idea? Why or why not?
3. What does Kevin think the company needs to show?

Premium Members: PDF Transcript | Online Practice | PhraseCast

Download: Podcast MP3