Answers the word out of one's mouth: You took the words right out of my mouth. 16 He spoke off the cuff. 17 To take somebody's word for something: You'll have to take my word for it. 18 To have the gift of the gab: He has the gift of the gab. 19 To speak one's mind: I always speak my mind. 20 That's a rather sweeping statement, isn't it? 21 To cut a long story short. 22 His technique was to learn the first sentence of every paragraph by heart. 23 I'm sorry, that was an unfortunate slip of the tongue. 24 Not to put too fine a point on it, he's stupid. 25 Give it to them straight from the shoulder.
14.
Decisions
1 To give someone the benefit of the doubt: We'll give you the benefit of the doubt. 2 To stick to one's guns: He stuck to his guns. 3 To tip the scales in somebody's favour: His fluency in Russian tipped the scales in his favour. 4 I wasn't brave enough to take the plunge. 5 We decided to go to Vigo on the spur of the moment. 6 I chose this make on the strength of your recommendation. 7 He was in two minds about whether to tell her. 8 To take something into account: You should have taken that into account. 9 To think better of (doing) something: She was on the point of applying for the post, but then thought better of it. 10 To keep one's options open: We're keeping all our options open. 11 I was in a quandary (or dilemma) about whether to go or not. 12 To have second thoughts about something: I've had second thoughts, I don't want to sell the company. 13 To change one's tune: You've changed your tune! 14 To make Stanley
1,000 everyday idioms in b u s i n e s s
one's mind up: Tell him to make his mind up. 15 To argue the toss: There's no point arguing the toss, my mind's made up. 16 To strike a happy balance: They strike a happy balance between formality and familiarity. 1 7 You have to strike a balance between quality and price. 18 Read the small print before signing the contract. 19 To be at a crossroads: He was at a crossroads in his career. 20 They were discussing the pros and cons of buying a computer. 21 To be up in the air: Nothing's settled, everything's still up in the air. 22 To take the bull by the horns: We must take the bull by the horns and act immediately. 23 To have mixed feelings about something: I have mixed feelings about it. 24 They decided to toss a coin for it. 25 To sit on the fence: The minister was accused of sitting on the fence
15.
Priorities
1 To have other fish to fry: I can't come, I've got other fish to fry. 2 Better late than never. 3 We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. 4 Don't put the cart before the horse. 5 You're throwing the baby out with the bath water. 6 Prevention is better than cure. 7 First things first, how are you getting on with the translation? 8 You have to keep a sense of proportion. 9 And last but not least, my wife. 10 Their campaign put a premium on lower taxation. 11 To make a big thing out of something? Why does he have to make such a big thing out of it? 12 This decision is only the thin end of the wedge. 13 Coventry was, first and foremost, an industrial city. 14 Better safe than sorry. 15 I'll do it 169