Самые употребляемые английские идиомы:

Узнай свой уровень владения английским языком. http://bc-english.ru/test/ Бизнес-идиомы:
(to be) at stake - (быть) на карте
The future of the company was at stake during the negotiations the government.
to back out (of something) - не выполнить обещания, нарушить доровореность
The new firm owner backed out of the negotiations to keep all old staff.
(to go) back to the drawing board - начать все сначала
The negotiations for the contract failed so we had to go back to the drawing board.
a bone of contention - яблоко раздора
The benefit package was a bone of contention between the management and the trade union.
to call off (something) - отменять (что-либо)
He had to call off all meetings because of his urgent departure.
to come to terms - достичь соглашения
After long negotiating the sides came to terms on the price issue.
to get to the bottom of (something) - найти, понять настоящую причину чего-то
It was very difficult to get to the bottom of the financial problems in the company.
to make headway - продвигаться, добиваться прогресса
We have been bargaining hard all week and are finally making headway with the new agreement.
to play one's ace - использовать все козыри
That order was very important for the company so I played my ace during the negotiation.
to put one's cards on the table - открыть свои карты - откровенно высказать свои намерения
It looked like the meeting was going to fail so we put our cards on the table to give it one last try.
to talk (someone) out of (something) - отговорить (кого-то) (от чего-то)
I knew about that applicant bad reputation and talked the boss out of hiring him.
Идиомы c числами:
forty winks - короткий дневной сон
I had forty winks before working night shift.
hundred to one shot/chance - очень незначительные шансы на успех
He only has a hundred to one shot at marring her.
to be in two minds about something - сомневаться, быть не в состоянии принять решение
He is in two minds about whether or not buy a car.
kill two birds with one stone - достичь двух целей с помощью одного действия
If you take the job now you will be able to kill two birds with one stone and get some experience besides earning money.
to be on cloud nine - быть на седьмом небе
She has been on cloud nine since she get the new job.
to have six feet under - умереть и быть похороненным
His uncle has been six feet under over ten years now.
Идиомы с животными:
hit the bulls-eye - добраться до сути
I suppose he hit the bulls-eye when he talked about the management problems in the company.
a cash cow - источник денег, прибыли
He never liked his constraction business but it was a cash cow.
until the cows come home - допоздна
I am staying at work until the cows come home today
go to the dogs - разрушаться, разваливаться, ухудшаться, деградировать
The company has gone to the dogs after the CEO was changed.
get (someone`s) goat - раздражать (кого-либо), действовать на нервы
Her extravagant clothes gets my goat.
in two shakes of a lamb's tail - очень быстро
He made a name as a successful artist in two shakes of a lamb's tail
smell a rat - чувствовать, подозревать что-то неладное
The job offer was very tempting but I smelled a rat.
rat on (someone) - доносить, ябедничать (на кого-то)
He always rats on his co-workers.
in a pig`s eye - маловероятно, вряд ли, никогда
In a pig`s eye will he be able to win the contest.
a monkey on one's back - серьезная проблема, которая мешает достичь успеха.
Bad English was a monkey on the back of the new project executive.
hold one`s horses - подождать, не торопиться
"Hold your horses for a moment. I need to warn with my parents about my leaving."
"Цветные" идиомы:
white night - ночь без сна
He was hardly able to work after a few white nights.
look blue - иметь унылый вид
Do you not why he look blue?
to sail under false colours - обманывать, лицемерить
Although he assured us of his support but he actually sailed under false colours.
once in a blue moon - очень редко
Once in a blue moon we decided to go on vacation abroad but his leave was cancelled.
out of the blue - совершенно неожиданно, как гром среди ясного неба
He lost his job out of the blue.
to look through blue glasses - смотреть мрачно, пессимистически
Her mother looked through blue glasses at her career.
green hand - новичок, неопытный человек
It is not a job to be handled by a green hand.
catch (someone) red-handed - поймать (кого-то) с поличным
The children were caught red-handed in the garden trying to steal apples.
white elephant - бесполезное приобретение
The new bookkeeping programm was a white elephant and nobody wanted to us.