[BEST LESSONS] - 10 Interesting Expressions With "Business"

0:00Hi, students! This month, we're re-releasing some of our all-time, most popular podcast episodes, which have been loved by thousands of English learners just like you. Want to download the text from this lesson? Click on the link in the podcast description and enter your email address to get your free lesson guide. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy listening to one of our best lessons. The English language has some interesting expressions with the word business,

0:30and not all of them have to do with companies or work. Let's learn 10 of these phrases and how to use them. Now if you are learning English for work, my Business English course will teach you the phrases and vocabulary you need. You'll learn what to say in interviews, meetings, negotiations, phone calls, presentations, networking events, and more. You'll also expand your vocabulary in the areas of management, finance, marketing, human resources, entrepreneurship, and many other topics.

1:03Click on the link in the video description for more information, a free sample lesson, and to join the Business English course. Phrase number one, let's get down to business. This phrase simply means let's start working seriously. For example, if you're doing a group project with other students, and the other students are chatting about unrelated topics, you could say, let's get down to business to express the fact that it's time to begin doing what you need to do, doing the project.

1:34Number two, funny business.

1:39This expression refers to dishonest or deceptive action. For example, if there's a politician who is involved in corruption and using money illegally, you can say, he's been involved in some funny business, so I won't vote for him. Number three, business as usual. This means the typical, ordinary way of doing things, so nothing is different from normal activity. For example, the leaders of a country might be trying to change the laws about health care, but in the hospitals, it's business as usual.

2:10This means the hospital workers are continuing their normal work. Nothing has changed. Number four, back in business. Saying that someone or something is back in business means it has returned to normal activity after a period of time when that was not possible due to malfunction, repair, or other bad conditions. For example, if your computer stops working and you call a technician to fix it, he might work on it for a while, and when he's done, he might say, okay, we're back in business, meaning the computer is fixed and is now working normally.

2:45Number five, someone means business. This means that the person is very, very serious about something. For example, maybe you and your roommate don't really clean your apartment very well. One day, your roommate gathers the cleaning supplies and says that you're both going to spend the entire afternoon cleaning everything. You could say, I could tell by the expression on her face that she meant business. So she was not joking. She was serious about wanting to clean very thoroughly.

3:14Number six, do something like nobody's business. If you can do something like nobody's business, it means you can do it extremely well, extremely quickly, or extremely easily. For example, I'm not a great cook, but my husband can cook like nobody's business. That means he is very talented at cooking. Number seven, it's none of your business. This phrase means it's not your concern, and it's a way to tell someone to stop inquiring about or trying to interfere in your life or affairs.

3:47For example, if someone is asking you lots of questions about a personal or private topic, you can say, it's none of your business. Number eight, mind your own business. This is similar to the previous phrase. It's a more forceful way to tell someone, focus on your own life, not on mine. For example, if your friend is constantly asking about your sex life and you're getting annoyed by such personal questions, you could tell your friend, mind your own business, because you want them to stop trying to get information about your life.

4:20Number nine, make it one's business to do something. If you make it your business to do something, it means you decide to take on a certain task or responsibility. Again, in the example of a group project, you could say, I made it my business to check the paper very carefully for spelling mistakes before we turned it in. So it's a responsibility that nobody gave to you. You decided to do it deliberately. You made it your business. Number 10, go out of business.

4:51When a company goes out of business, it means it has no more money to continue operating. So it must shut down. For example, when computers became common, companies that manufactured typewriters went out of business. So those are 10 phrases with the word business. Remember to check out my business English course if you want to learn tons of practical vocabulary and phrases for professional situations so that you can make a good impression with your English at work. Thanks for joining me today, and I'll talk to you next time.

5:23If you want more great English lessons, visit EspressoEnglish.net, where you can sign up by email to receive a free e-book with 500 plus real English phrases. You'll also find online courses to help you improve your English fast, even if you don't have much time to study. Keep practicing your English, and I hope you have a wonderful day.

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