| No. | Item | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | A tough nut to crack | A difficult problem or person. |
| 2. | Ahead of the curve | More advanced than others. |
| 3. | All hands on deck | Everyone must help now. |
| 4. | At the end of the day | Ultimately; when all is considered. |
| 5. | Back on track | Returned to progress as planned. |
| 6. | Back to the drawing board | Start over with a new plan. |
| 7. | Big picture | Overall view; main context. |
| 8. | Bite off more than you can chew | Take on too much. |
| 9. | Bite the bullet | Face something unpleasant bravely. |
| 10. | Bring to the table | Contribute ideas or resources. |
| 11. | Burn the candle at both ends | Overwork; exhaust yourself. |
| 12. | Burn the midnight oil | Work late into the night. |
| 13. | Call a spade a spade | Speak plainly and honestly. |
| 14. | Call it a day | Stop working for now. |
| 15. | Call the shots | Be in charge; decide. |
| 16. | Catch-22 | No-win situation; paradox. |
| 17. | Circle back | Return to a topic later. |
| 18. | Cut corners | Do something cheaply or carelessly. |
| 19. | Cut to the chase | Get to the main point. |
| 20. | Cut your losses | Stop before losing more. |
| 21. | Deep dive | Thorough, detailed examination. |
| 22. | Down to the wire | Until the last moment. |
| 23. | Draw the line | Set a firm limit. |
| 24. | Drill down | Examine details more closely. |
| 25. | Drive a hard bargain | Negotiate aggressively for advantage. |
| 26. | Drop the ball | Make a mistake; fail. |
| 27. | Eager beaver | Very enthusiastic worker. |
| 28. | Eleventh hour | Last possible moment. |
| 29. | Face the music | Accept consequences of actions. |
| 30. | Fast track | Speed up progress or approval. |
| 31. | Feather in your cap | An achievement to be proud of. |
| 32. | Fish or cut bait | Decide now; stop delaying. |
| 33. | Fit the bill | Meet requirements; be suitable. |
| 34. | Fly by the seat of your pants | Improvise without planning. |
| 35. | Front and center | Main focus; most important. |
| 36. | Get down to business | Start working seriously. |
| 37. | Get on board | Agree to participate or support. |
| 38. | Get the ball rolling | Start something; begin action. |
| 39. | Get your ducks in a row | Organize things properly. |
| 40. | Go the extra mile | Do more than required. |
| 41. | Green light | Approval to proceed. |
| 42. | Hands down | Easily; without doubt. |
| 43. | Have a lot on your plate | Have many responsibilities. |
| 44. | Have your hands full | Be very busy. |
| 45. | Hit the ground running | Start fast and effectively. |
| 46. | Hit the nail on the head | Be exactly right. |
| 47. | Hold your horses | Wait; slow down. |
| 48. | In hot water | In trouble. |
| 49. | In the driver’s seat | In control of decisions. |
| 50. | In the loop | Included in updates and decisions. |
| 51. | Iron out the wrinkles | Fix small problems. |
| 52. | It takes two to tango | Both sides share responsibility. |
| 53. | Jump on the bandwagon | Join because others are. |
| 54. | Keep the lights on | Maintain basic operations. |
| 55. | Keep the wheels turning | Maintain progress and operations. |
| 56. | Keep your cards close | Don’t reveal plans. |
| 57. | Keep your chin up | Stay positive and hopeful. |
| 58. | Keep your eye on the ball | Stay focused on priorities. |
| 59. | Keep your head above water | Manage to survive financially. |
| 60. | Land on your feet | Recover well from trouble. |
| 61. | Last but not least | Final item is still important. |
| 62. | Leave no stone unturned | Search thoroughly; try everything. |
| 63. | Let the cat out of the bag | Reveal a secret accidentally. |
| 64. | Level the playing field | Make conditions fair for all. |
| 65. | Low-hanging fruit | Easy wins; simple opportunities. |
| 66. | Make a long story short | Summarize; shorten the explanation. |
| 67. | Make ends meet | Manage financially. |
| 68. | Make headway | Make progress. |
| 69. | Make it happen | Ensure it gets done. |
| 70. | Meet you halfway | Compromise; share effort. |
| 71. | Move the needle | Make a noticeable difference. |
| 72. | Needle in a haystack | Very hard to find. |
| 73. | No-brainer | Very easy decision. |
| 74. | Not in my wheelhouse | Not my area of expertise. |
| 75. | Not my cup of tea | Not something I like. |
| 76. | Off the radar | Not being noticed or tracked. |
| 77. | On the back burner | Lower priority for now. |
| 78. | On the radar | Being noticed or considered. |
| 79. | On the same page | In agreement; sharing understanding. |
| 80. | On thin ice | In a risky situation. |
| 81. | Out of the loop | Not informed about developments. |
| 82. | Pack a punch | Have strong effect. |
| 83. | Par for the course | Normal; to be expected. |
| 84. | Pull your weight | Do your fair share. |
| 85. | Put a pin in it | Postpone discussion for later. |
| 86. | Put out fires | Handle urgent problems quickly. |
| 87. | Put your foot down | Be firm; refuse to yield. |
| 88. | Raise a red flag | Warn of a potential problem. |
| 89. | Raise the bar | Increase standards or expectations. |
| 90. | Red tape | Excessive bureaucracy and rules. |
| 91. | Rock the boat | Cause trouble or disruption. |
| 92. | Run it up the flagpole | Test an idea for reactions. |
| 93. | Smooth sailing | Easy progress without problems. |
| 94. | Steer the ship | Guide an organization’s direction. |
| 95. | Step up to the plate | Accept responsibility; take action. |
| 96. | Take it offline | Discuss privately, not in meeting. |
| 97. | Take the lead | Assume responsibility and direction. |
| 98. | Think outside the box | Be creative; use unconventional ideas. |
| 99. | Touch base | Make brief contact or check in. |
| 100. | Win-win | Beneficial for all parties. |
