With the advent of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter the realm of slang terminology is seemingly growing bigger with each passing day. Many words, including “hash tag” and “friended”, have crossed over into formal discourse. This has further blurred the line between what can be considered formal and informal speech. You can [...]
An unfortunate reality in the business world is that there is only one constant: change. While you may feel confident about the contributions you are making to the company now and how much you are valued as an employee, there remains the chance that you could be moved to a different department by management without [...]
In today’s idiom post we are going to be examining the meaning and origin of the phrase “ a whole new ballgame.” A common variation of this phrase is "a whole 'nother ball of wax." While the latter phrase is certainly more formal, they both used to emphasize the sharp contrast between one or more [...]
Imagine for a moment you are sitting in your cubicle at work and you overhear a conversation. Should the company continue to sell to the same consumer base, thus ensuring a marginal profit, or should they try to go after a different demographic? Due to the inherent risk and weight of this decision, expressions such as [...]
A critical piece of successful business communication is developing the ability to ask for things in a direct manner, without giving the impression of being condescending or demonstrative. As someone who is looking to refine their speech by speaking with an American accent, you may find yourself thinking that you must impress your listener by [...]
Most of what we are exposed to on the internet in today’s society is driven by popularity. Everyone follows a set routine when they first get online at the start of the day: checking e-mail, browsing some of our preferred websites, updating friends on our lives via social media etc., but despite what you may [...]
Have you ever felt the urge to throw in the towel after a particularly difficult day at the office? Such feelings may creep up if you feel as though you've taken on more responsibility than you can handle in the hopes of getting a promotion. There is also a sense of frustration over not having [...]
A critical piece of successful business communication is developing the ability to ask for things in a direct manner, without giving the impression of being condescending or demonstrative. As someone who is looking to refine their speech by speaking with an American accent, you may find yourself thinking that you must impress your listener by [...]
In today's idiom post we are going to examining the meaning and origin of the phrase "Off the beaten track." A common variant of this phrase is "off the beaten path", but they have identical meanings. Occasionally this phrase is used within a conversation to refer to the conversation itself and how it has drifted [...]
The prospect of changing your speech to speak with a reduced accent may seem like a daunting task, one that leaves you open to self doubt about whether you are betraying a part of your identity by making such changes. You can counter any fears you may have by reminding yourself that you are in [...]
If you stop to think about it, many slang phrases in the American lexicon originated as song lyrics. The majority of these seemingly fall out of favor as quickly as they appear. Part of this has to do with the fact these terms become dated, thus dating the person who uses them frequently and giving [...]
With the advent of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter the realm of slang terminology is seemingly growing bigger with each passing day. Many words, including “hash tag” and “friended”, have crossed over into formal discourse. This has further blurred the line between what can be considered formal and informal speech. You can [...]
We conclude our series on American idioms featuring the word "egg" today with the idiom, "put all your eggs in one basket." Similar to "kill the goose that laid the golden egg" this phrase is normally used in a financial context, a scenario where all of one's resources have been put in a single place. [...]
Idiom: kill the goose that laid the golden egg The business world is defined by risk, and those who take risks and have their boldness pay off in the form of a bigger paycheck, promotion, or a burgeoning stock portfolio are celebrated. In these situations, discussion of the inherent risk faced by the individuals involved [...]
In business discussions, idioms serve to creatively express ideas that have already been explained without coming across as repetitive. They can also cut through discussions full of complex jargon, reinforcing the main ideas in a manner that is more likely to be retained by the audience at the end of a meeting when compared to [...]
When it comes to online dating projecting the proper image is essential. This causes both men and women to lie about their actual age, post outdated pictures of themselves from they were younger and believed themselves to be more attractive, and boast about their achievements in their dating profile. The anonymity of the internet has [...]
Some American English idioms that reference children, including "throw the baby out with the bath water", sound ludicrous when taken out of context. After all who would throw out a baby in the process of discarding used bath water? The phrase "babe in the woods", however, speaking to someone's relative inexperience within a specific area, [...]
Today's featured idiom concerns a phrase you frequently hear on the news: "on the run" While the term is often applied to criminals and can have a negative connotation, it can also refer to a person who seems to be in constant motion, never living in one place for an extended period or allowing themselves [...]
Business executives are fond of trying to inspire their employees to stretch beyond their supposed capabilities through a motivational speech. A common theme in these speeches is that employees and everyone else in the company must be ruthless and singularly focused in their efforts to reach stated goals, even if this requires operating in a [...]
Now that you've made the decision to adopt a modified speaking accent with the help of of AccentPros' certified accent coaches and various online resources, you are likely more aware of the kind of language you use on an everyday basis. Are you more of a straightforward communicator or one that likes to utilize similes, [...]
