Let’s take a look at some great business idioms starting with G.
Don’t forget to click on the links at the bottom for the rest.
gain ground
meaning – make progress, become more popular/widely known
example – Wilkins is gaining ground over Newman. He might be able to overtake him on the final lap.
get down to business
meaning – start doing something with seriousness and determination
example – Let’s have a quick coffee break, then we’ll get down to business.
get fired
meaning – be dismissed from your job
example – Did you hear about Katie? She got fired for stealing.
get into the swing of things
meaning – become accustomed to/comfortable with something
example – I’ve been in my new job for a few weeks now. I’m just starting to get into the swing of things.
get one’s hands dirty
meaning – do hard/manual work or something illegal
example – Karl will help you dig the hole, he loves getting his hands dirty.
get something off the ground
meaning – start operating/functioning
example – We need to get this project off the ground ASAP.
get the ball rolling
meaning – start a process
example – I want to sell my house. I’ll call the estate agent and get the ball rolling tomorrow.
get the boot/get given the boot
meaning – get fired from your job
example – If you don’t stop mucking around and do some work, you’ll get the boot.
get/give the lowdown
meaning – hear/tell someone the most important truthful facts
example – I heard Pete and Marge are getting divorced, get the lowdown when you see him at the footie.
get the sack
meaning – be dismissed from your job
example – If you continue to be late, you’ll get the sack.
get the show on the road
meaning – begin/start doing something
example – I’ll grab my coat and we can get the show on the road.
get the wrong end of the stick
meaning – misunderstand something
example – Holly has got the wrong end of the stick. It’s not a date, just two friends having coffee.
get to grips with something
meaning – comprehend, understand the situation, start to deal with a problem
example – I’ve blitzed the bathroom, now I’ll get to grips with the kitchen.
give someone a heads up
meaning – warn someone of impending difficulty/danger
example – Can you give Leon a heads up if the fuel gets below 20%?
give someone a run for their money
meaning – almost as good as the opposition
example – My 3-year-old twins are giving me a run for my money.
give someone the boot
meaning – fire/dismiss someone from their job
example – Someone has been stealing from me. When I find out who, I’ll give them the boot.
give something one’s best shot
meaning – try your best
example – He gave it his best shot, but unfortunately, he didn’t get the job.
give the green light
meaning – permit/allow
example – The council have given the green light for a new school to be built.
go belly up
meaning – go spectacularly wrong
example – My new business venture went belly up in the first 6 months. I’m back working in a factory.
go down the drain
meaning – fail, disappear, be destroyed
example – My marriage went down the drain a long time ago.
go for broke
meaning – put all your effort/resources into one thing in the hope of great success
example – Rangers are going for broke in the final 15 minutes. They desperately need a draw.
go full circle
meaning – return to the original situation/circumstance where you first started
example – Terry’s career is going full circle. He’s about to start managing his first ever club again.
go out of business
meaning – a company stops trading and closes
example – If you continue to give out free products, I’ll go out of business.
go overboard
meaning – be too excessive/extreme
example – You’ve bought 16 bottles of wine for 5 people? You always go overboard.
go round in circles
meaning – do something for a long time without progressing
example – I can’t find a solution, I’m just going round in circles.
go round the houses
meaning – a very long complicated way of reaching a conclusion
example – I hate Mr. Oxley’s classes. He always goes round the houses and makes it difficult.
go the extra mile
meaning – make an extra effort to achieve something
example – Lauren is a good nurse. She always goes the extra mile to make patients feel at ease.
go through a rough patch
meaning – experience difficulty in a business/relationship
example – We went through a rough patch but now our relationship is stronger than ever.
go through the roof
meaning – prices/figures get extremely high or suddenly get mad/angry/excited
example – Petrol prices have gone through the roof recently. I need a car with a smaller engine.
going places
meaning – a person who is likely to become successful
example – Henry has so many business ideas. He’s going places.
golden handshake
meaning – a large sum of money given to someone retiring/being made redundant
example – My dad got a very generous golden handshake. He is going to buy a house in Spain.
golden opportunity
meaning – a perfect chance, an ideal moment
example – House prices are really low. It’s a golden opportunity to get on the property ladder.
grass roots
meaning – ordinary people in society/an organisation
example – To get a real opinion, we need to ask the grass roots.
grease one’s palm
meaning – pay someone in exchange for information, favours, influence etc.
example – I greased the waiter’s hand, and he gave us the best table.
grey area
meaning – not clearly defined, unclear
example – We’re not sure who is meant to be doing the ordering, it’s a grey area.
ground-breaking
meaning – innovative, new, original
example – Ground-breaking research means we have cures for many diseases.
Did you enjoy learning business idioms starting with G? I thought so! Click the links below to learn some more.