Phrases commonly used in daily conversation.
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By the book → Following rules strictly
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We do everything by the book to avoid issues.
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She handles audits by the book every time.
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Ball is in your court → It's your turn to act
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I’ve done my part. Now the ball is in your court.
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After the proposal, the ball is in their court.
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Game plan → A strategic plan
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What’s our game plan for next quarter?
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We need a clear game plan for this launch.
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Think long-term → Consider the future impact
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We must think long-term, not just short-term profit.
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He always thinks long-term when investing.
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Go the extra mile → Put in extra effort
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Our team is willing to go the extra mile.
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She always goes the extra mile for her clients.
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Be proactive → Act before problems happen
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Try to be proactive with client feedback.
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A proactive approach prevents delays.
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Ahead of schedule → Finished earlier than planned
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We completed the project ahead of schedule.
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They delivered the product ahead of schedule.
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Behind schedule → Late or delayed
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The team is behind schedule due to bugs.
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We’re currently behind schedule, but catching up.
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Stay on track → Continue as planned
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Let’s stay on track with the budget.
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Regular meetings help us stay on track.
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In alignment → Matching goals or views
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The new policy is in alignment with our mission.
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Ensure your goals are in alignment with the company’s.
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Bottom line → The most important point or result
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The bottom line is we need more sales.
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What’s the bottom line of this report?
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Raise the issue → To bring up a concern
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He raised the issue of lack of training.
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I want to raise the issue during the meeting.
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Down the line → In the future
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We’ll revisit it down the line.
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It might affect us further down the line.
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Big picture → Overall perspective
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Let’s focus on the big picture, not just small tasks.
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Don’t lose sight of the big picture.
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In the driver's seat → In control
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She’s in the driver’s seat of the project now.
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He likes being in the driver’s seat during deals.
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Cutting-edge → Very advanced or innovative
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We use cutting-edge technology.
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Their design is truly cutting-edge.
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Go over → Review or discuss
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Let’s go over the financials.
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We need to go over last quarter’s performance.
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Iron out → Fix or resolve small issues
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We need to iron out the final details.
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They ironed out the contract terms.
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Keep in mind → Remember or consider
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Keep in mind the deadline is Friday.
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We should keep in mind the client's feedback.
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Hands-on → Actively involved
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He’s a hands-on manager.
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I prefer a hands-on approach to training.
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Break down → Divide into parts for clarity
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Can you break down the costs for us?
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She broke it down into three simple steps.
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Step up → Take more responsibility
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We need someone to step up and lead.
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He stepped up during the crisis.
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Red flag → A warning sign
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That sudden drop is a red flag.
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Watch for red flags in the contract.
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In real-time → Immediately as something happens
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The dashboard shows results in real-time.
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We track customer behavior in real-time.
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Key takeaway → Main point or lesson
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The key takeaway is to prioritize quality.
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What’s the key takeaway from the workshop?
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Keep the ball rolling → Maintain progress
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Let’s keep the ball rolling after the holiday.
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Weekly check-ins help keep the ball rolling.
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Put all hands on deck → Everyone needs to help
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It’s all hands on deck for this deadline.
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We need all hands on deck for the event.
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Hit a snag → Face a small problem
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We’ve hit a snag with the shipment.
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The plan hit a snag, but we adjusted.
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Make or break → Critical to success or failure
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This meeting is make or break for the deal.
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A good pitch can make or break your chance.
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Back-end → Behind-the-scenes processes
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The back-end system needs upgrading.
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Our back-end team handles the data.
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Front-end → What users see or interact with
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We improved the front-end design.
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The app’s front-end must be user-friendly.
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Meet halfway → Compromise
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We’ll need to meet halfway on the price.
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Both sides agreed to meet halfway.
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Lay the groundwork → Prepare the base
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We’ve laid the groundwork for expansion.
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They’re laying the groundwork for a merger.
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Stand out → Be noticeable
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Your resume must stand out.
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This campaign really stood out from the rest.
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Take into account → Consider something important
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We must take into account time zones.
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Take into account the budget limits.
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Raise the profile → Increase visibility
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We need to raise our profile online.
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The event helped raise their profile.
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No-brainer → An easy or obvious choice
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Hiring her was a no-brainer.
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The solution is a no-brainer for us.
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Smooth sailing → Easy progress
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After launch, it was smooth sailing.
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With good planning, it should be smooth sailing.
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Touch base offline → Follow up outside the meeting
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Let’s touch base offline to finalize.
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I’ll touch base offline with more info.
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In a nutshell → Brief summary
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In a nutshell, we need more funding.
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Here’s the plan in a nutshell.
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On your radar → Be aware of it
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Keep the new policy on your radar.
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Is that update on your radar yet?
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Get buy-in → Gain support
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We need to get buy-in from the stakeholders.
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Without buy-in, the plan may fail.
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Move forward → Continue or progress
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Let’s move forward with the next steps.
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We’ll move forward once we get approval.
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Play it by ear → Adjust as you go
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We’ll play it by ear based on turnout.
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Let’s play it by ear during the event.
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Bite the bullet → Accept something difficult
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We’ll have to bite the bullet and cut costs.
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It’s time to bite the bullet and deliver.
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Crunch time → A critical time before a deadline
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It’s crunch time for the presentation.
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We’re entering crunch time now.
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Put in place → Set up or establish
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Policies must be put in place ASAP.
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We’ve put in place a new training system.
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Behind the scenes → Secretly or privately
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Much happens behind the scenes.
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The behind-the-scenes team is key.
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Stick to the script → Follow the plan or script
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For the pitch, stick to the script.
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Please stick to the script during demos.
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Make headway → Show progress
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We’ve made headway on the project.
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Finally, we’re making headway with the design.
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