When we talk about work, we often hear some funny or confusing sayings. These sayings are called idioms. An idiom is a group of words that means something different than what the words say. People use them every day to talk about working hard, being busy, or getting things done.
Maybe you’ve heard someone say “pull your weight” or “burning the midnight oil.” These phrases don’t mean pulling on a rope or actually burning anything. They mean someone is doing their part or working late. In this article, we’ll learn many idioms that people use to talk about work. They’ll help you sound more natural and understand others better, whether at school, at home, or later at a job.
Idioms for Work
1. Pull your weight
Meaning: Do your fair share of work.
Within a Sentence: Everyone on the team has to pull their weight. / I pull my weight during group projects.
In Other Words: Do your part / Help out
2. Burn the midnight oil
Meaning: Work very late at night.
Within a Sentence: She burned the midnight oil to finish her report. / I burned the midnight oil studying for the test.
In Other Words: Stay up late working / Work late
3. On the clock
Meaning: Working or doing your job.
Within a Sentence: Don’t play games when you’re on the clock. / I’m not allowed to leave while I’m on the clock.
In Other Words: During work time / While working
4. Learn the ropes
Meaning: Learn how to do a job or task.
Within a Sentence: I’m new, so I’m still learning the ropes. / She taught me the ropes at the library.
In Other Words: Figure things out / Learn how it works
5. Back to the grind
Meaning: Returning to hard work.
Within a Sentence: After summer break, it’s back to the grind. / Monday means back to the grind.
In Other Words: Start working again / Back to busy times
6. Put in the hours
Meaning: Spend time working.
Within a Sentence: He puts in the hours to become a better player. / I put in the hours to finish the project.
In Other Words: Work for a long time / Spend effort
7. All in a day’s work
Meaning: Something normal or expected in a job.
Within a Sentence: Cleaning up spills is all in a day’s work. / Helping others is all in a day’s work at the shelter.
In Other Words: Part of the job / Normal task
8. A tough nut to crack
Meaning: A hard problem or person to deal with.
Within a Sentence: That puzzle was a tough nut to crack. / The math problem was a tough nut to crack.
In Other Words: Hard to solve / Tricky
9. Climb the ladder
Meaning: Move up to better jobs or roles.
Within a Sentence: She wants to climb the ladder and be a manager. / I hope to climb the ladder one day.
In Other Words: Get promoted / Move up
10. Bring home the bacon
Meaning: Earn money for your family.
Within a Sentence: Dad works to bring home the bacon. / She brings home the bacon by selling crafts.
In Other Words: Make money / Support family
11. Go the extra mile
Meaning: Do more than expected.
Within a Sentence: He always goes the extra mile on projects. / She went the extra mile to help her friend.
In Other Words: Do more / Try harder
12. In the same boat
Meaning: In the same situation as others.
Within a Sentence: We’re all in the same boat with this big test. / My classmates and I are in the same boat.
In Other Words: Facing the same thing / Together in this
13. Keep your nose to the grindstone
Meaning: Work very hard without stopping.
Within a Sentence: He kept his nose to the grindstone all day. / She keeps her nose to the grindstone during homework.
In Other Words: Stay focused / Work hard
14. By the book
Meaning: Follow the rules exactly.
Within a Sentence: He does his job by the book. / We did the science project by the book.
In Other Words: Follow rules / Stick to the plan
15. Call the shots
Meaning: Be in charge.
Within a Sentence: The teacher calls the shots in class. / My mom calls the shots at home.
In Other Words: Make decisions / Be the boss
16. A dead-end job
Meaning: A job with no future or growth.
Within a Sentence: He left the dead-end job for something better. / She didn’t want to stay in a dead-end job.
In Other Words: No progress / Can’t move up
17. Work your fingers to the bone
Meaning: Work extremely hard.
Within a Sentence: She worked her fingers to the bone at the store. / He worked his fingers to the bone fixing the bike.
In Other Words: Work a lot / Get really tired
18. Out of work
Meaning: Without a job.
Within a Sentence: He’s out of work right now. / My uncle was out of work last year.
In Other Words: No job / Not working
19. In hot water
Meaning: In trouble.
Within a Sentence: I’m in hot water for being late. / He was in hot water for forgetting homework.
In Other Words: In trouble / Did something wrong
20. Hit the ground running
Meaning: Start something with a lot of energy.
Within a Sentence: She hit the ground running on day one. / We hit the ground running on our project.
In Other Words: Start fast / Begin quickly
21. Take the bull by the horns
Meaning: Face a problem bravely.
Within a Sentence: I took the bull by the horns and fixed it. / He took the bull by the horns and spoke up.
In Other Words: Be brave / Handle it
22. On the back burner
Meaning: Not a top priority.
Within a Sentence: We put that idea on the back burner. / Cleaning my closet is on the back burner.
In Other Words: Wait for later / Not important now
23. Break your back
Meaning: Work very hard.
Within a Sentence: I broke my back cleaning the garage. / She breaks her back helping her grandma.
In Other Words: Work super hard / Do a lot
24. Carry the load
Meaning: Do most of the work.
Within a Sentence: He carried the load for the team. / She carried the load in our group.
In Other Words: Did most of it / Helped a lot
25. Off the clock
Meaning: Not working right now.
Within a Sentence: I can’t help, I’m off the clock. / She only talks about work when off the clock.
In Other Words: Done working / Free time
26. Get the ball rolling
Meaning: Start something.
Within a Sentence: Let’s get the ball rolling on our homework. / She got the ball rolling on the cleanup.
In Other Words: Begin / Start now
27. Ballpark figure
Meaning: A rough guess.
Within a Sentence: I gave a ballpark figure for the cost. / He gave a ballpark figure for time.
In Other Words: Estimate / Not exact
28. In full swing
Meaning: Something happening at its best.
Within a Sentence: The school day was in full swing. / The party was in full swing.
In Other Words: Busy / Happening now
29. In over your head
Meaning: Doing something too hard.
Within a Sentence: I was in over my head with math. / He’s in over his head with chores.
In Other Words: Too much / Can’t handle it
30. A foot in the door
Meaning: A first step toward a better job.
Within a Sentence: My summer job was a foot in the door. / She got her foot in the door at the library.
In Other Words: First chance / Start something
31. Crunch time
Meaning: A short time when you must work fast.
Within a Sentence: It’s crunch time before the science fair. / We’re in crunch time to finish the posters.
In Other Words: Last-minute work / Rush period
32. Put your nose to the grindstone
Meaning: Stay focused and work hard.
Within a Sentence: He put his nose to the grindstone before the test. / She put her nose to the grindstone during the project.
In Other Words: Focus hard / Keep working
33. Think outside the box
Meaning: Be creative.
Within a Sentence: We need to think outside the box for this art contest. / He thought outside the box and made a cool model.
In Other Words: Use new ideas / Be different
34. The daily grind
Meaning: Regular work or tasks.
Within a Sentence: School can feel like the daily grind. / My chores are part of the daily grind.
In Other Words: Same routine / Regular tasks
35. A piece of the pie
Meaning: A share of something.
Within a Sentence: I want a piece of the pie from the fundraiser. / He wants a piece of the pie when we win.
In Other Words: A share / Part of it
36. Get down to business
Meaning: Start working seriously.
Within a Sentence: Let’s get down to business and finish our group task. / She told us to get down to business after lunch.
In Other Words: Start working / Get serious
37. Behind the scenes
Meaning: Working where others don’t see.
Within a Sentence: He worked behind the scenes on the play. / She helped behind the scenes at the event.
In Other Words: Out of sight / Secret help
38. A jack of all trades
Meaning: A person good at many things.
Within a Sentence: My dad is a jack of all trades; he fixes everything. / She’s a jack of all trades at camp.
In Other Words: Good at lots / Handy person
39. Work like a dog
Meaning: Work very hard.
Within a Sentence: He worked like a dog to clean the yard. / I worked like a dog on the science model.
In Other Words: Really worked / No rest
40. Clocks in
Meaning: Starts work.
Within a Sentence: He clocks in at 8 every morning. / I clock in right after breakfast during chores.
In Other Words: Begin work / Start day
41. Think on your feet
Meaning: Make fast decisions.
Within a Sentence: She had to think on her feet during the quiz. / I thought on my feet when we forgot the supplies.
In Other Words: Decide fast / Quick thinking
42. Step up
Meaning: Take responsibility.
Within a Sentence: He stepped up to lead the team. / She stepped up when no one else would.
In Other Words: Take charge / Help out
43. Down to the wire
Meaning: At the last moment.
Within a Sentence: We finished our project down to the wire. / It came down to the wire in the game.
In Other Words: Just in time / Very close
44. Keep your head above water
Meaning: Just managing things.
Within a Sentence: I’m trying to keep my head above water with homework. / She’s barely keeping her head above water.
In Other Words: Not drowning / Just okay
45. Work out the kinks
Meaning: Fix small problems.
Within a Sentence: We worked out the kinks in the robot. / He worked out the kinks in the speech.
In Other Words: Solve problems / Make better
46. The bottom line
Meaning: The main point or result.
Within a Sentence: The bottom line is we need to finish today. / The bottom line is to help each other.
In Other Words: Main point / Final result
47. Show of hands
Meaning: A way to vote or decide.
Within a Sentence: Let’s do a show of hands to pick a leader. / The class did a show of hands to vote.
In Other Words: Raise hands / Quick vote
48. Call it a day
Meaning: Stop working for now.
Within a Sentence: We finished the poster, so let’s call it a day. / After chores, we called it a day.
In Other Words: Done working / Time to stop
49. Put it on hold
Meaning: Wait before doing it.
Within a Sentence: We put the plan on hold until next week. / She put her idea on hold for later.
In Other Words: Pause it / Wait a bit
50. A hands-on job
Meaning: A job where you do things physically.
Within a Sentence: Gardening is a hands-on job. / Fixing bikes is a hands-on job.
In Other Words: Use your hands / Physical work
51. A nine-to-five job
Meaning: A regular full-time job.
Within a Sentence: My uncle works a nine-to-five job. / She doesn’t like a nine-to-five job.
In Other Words: Normal job / All-day work
52. Work against the clock
Meaning: Try to finish fast.
Within a Sentence: We worked against the clock to beat the deadline. / They worked against the clock during cleanup.
In Other Words: In a rush / Limited time
53. Roll up your sleeves
Meaning: Get ready to work.
Within a Sentence: It’s time to roll up your sleeves and clean. / She rolled up her sleeves and got started.
In Other Words: Be ready / Start now
54. In the pipeline
Meaning: Coming soon.
Within a Sentence: We have new books in the pipeline. / A fun event is in the pipeline.
In Other Words: Coming up / On the way
55. Not cut out for it
Meaning: Not suited for the task.
Within a Sentence: I’m not cut out for loud jobs. / He’s not cut out for acting.
In Other Words: Not the right fit / Doesn’t match
56. Put it to the test
Meaning: Try to see if it works.
Within a Sentence: We put the robot to the test. / I put my idea to the test.
In Other Words: Try it / See if it works
57. The big picture
Meaning: The overall idea or goal.
Within a Sentence: Think about the big picture, not just the small stuff. / We need to look at the big picture.
In Other Words: Whole plan / Main idea
58. A learning curve
Meaning: Time it takes to learn something.
Within a Sentence: Riding a bike has a learning curve. / The new game had a learning curve.
In Other Words: Takes time / Hard at first
59. Wear many hats
Meaning: Do many different jobs.
Within a Sentence: My mom wears many hats at home. / She wears many hats at school.
In Other Words: Has lots of jobs / Does it all
60. Pull some strings
Meaning: Use connections to get help.
Within a Sentence: He pulled some strings to get the tickets. / She pulled some strings for the meeting.
In Other Words: Ask for help / Use contacts
Idioms for Work – True/False Quiz
1. “Pull your weight” means you’re being lazy.
True / False
2. If you “burn the midnight oil,” you’re working very late.
True / False
3. “On the clock” means it’s time to take a nap.
True / False
4. If you are “learning the ropes,” you’re still getting used to a new job.
True / False
5. “Call the shots” means someone else is in charge.
True / False
6. “Work your fingers to the bone” means you’re barely doing anything.
True / False
7. “Climb the ladder” means you’re moving to a better job or position.
True / False
8. If you “get the ball rolling,” you are starting something.
True / False
9. Saying “in hot water” means you’re relaxing in a bath.
True / False
10. “Work like a dog” means you are working very hard.
True / False
11. “Think outside the box” means you’re doing something the usual way.
True / False
12. “Roll up your sleeves” means you’re getting ready to do work.
True / False
13. “Call it a day” means you’re just starting a new task.
True / False
14. “Wear many hats” means you do many kinds of tasks.
True / False
15. “The big picture” means looking at the smallest part of something.
True / False
Answers
- False
- True
- False
- True
- True
- False
- True
- True
- False
- True
- False
- True
- False
- True
- False
Scoring Guide
- 15 Correct Answers: Idioms Master!
- 10–14 Correct Answers: You really get idioms, nice work!
- 6–9 Correct Answers: You’re learning, keep going!
- 0–5 Correct Answers: Let’s learn about idioms together!
Conclusion
Idioms make talking about work more fun and easier to understand. Instead of always saying “I’m busy” or “I’m working,” you can use expressions like “on the clock” or “pulling your weight.” These phrases help you sound more natural and can show others how you feel or what you’re doing.
Now that you know many work idioms, try using them at school or at home. The more you practice, the better you’ll get at understanding and using them. Keep listening for these idioms in conversations and stories; they pop up more than you think.
