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Each week of 2017 we present an English idiom. “to have (something) up (one’s) sleeve”: to have a plan or an idea one hasn’t told anyone about yet Example 1:  His comments during the meeting made me wonder what he had up his sleeve. Example 2:  When we get to the negotiation table we always …

Each week of 2017 we present an English idiom. “rule of thumb”: a general guideline or principle; Faustregel Example 1:  Many people believe that being yourself is the best rule of thumb for most situations. Example 2:  Do you agree with Monster.com’s rule of thumb for how to dress for a job interview?

Each week of 2017 we present an English idiom. “to call the shots”: to make the decisions; das Sagen haben Example 1:  The manager is out on sick leave, so Mike, the project manager, is calling all the shots at the moment. Example 2:  The CEO calls the shots, but she always consults with her …

Each week of 2017 we present an English idiom. “to go back to the drawing board”: to start again from the beginning; noch einmal von vorn anfangen Example 1:  The package design wasn’t quite what we were looking for, so we’ve asked the designer to go back to the drawing board and send us some …

Each week of 2017 we present an English idiom. “to go to bat for somebody”: to support or help someone; für jdn./etw. eine Lanze brechen This idiom comes from the sport of baseball. Learn the basic rules of the game. Example 1:  Because she believed my proposal would be successful, she went to bat for me during the management …

Each week of 2017 we present an English idiom. “hold your horses”: slow down; he, nun mal langsam, nicht so schnell! Example 1:  Hold your horses. Who said we’re opening a new store in February? Example 2:  Even if you’re eager to share your ideas at your new job, you might want to hold your horses until you’ve learned the ropes.

Each week of 2017 we present an English idiom. “to stick it out”: to continue to the end of a situation that is difficult or unenjoyable (especially in AE); bis (zum Ende) durchhalten Example 1:  The secondment ends in two months. Surely you can stick it out until then. Example 2:  He wasn’t feeling well but stuck it …

Each week of 2017 we present an English idiom. “to nip (something) in the bud”: to stop something before it becomes larger/worse; etwas im Keim(e) ersticken, etwas abwürgen Learn more about this idiom, including its origins, from a podcast by the BBC. Example 1:  Management nipped the growing conflict between the two employees in the bud …

Each week of 2017 we present an English idiom. “a pain in the neck”: something or someone that is frustrating or difficult to deal with; Nervensäge, ein Krampf sein, ein Dorn im Auge sein Example 1:  Dealing with travel expenses following a business trip is always a pain in the neck. Example 2:  Generally he’s a nice guy, …