Idiomatic expressions related to eggs

Many people who are learning English as a second language, as well as those who have moved to a different part of the USA, struggle with learning the meaning of certain idiomatic expressions.
 In honor of the upcoming Easter and Passover holidays this weekend, here are idioms related to
eggs, a common theme in both holidays.

"A good egg" means someone you like. "Put all your eggs in one basket" means that you are assuming a higher level of risk by putting all your money in one place, or depending on only one option.

There are many more such "egg"related idioms. For a great list of them, go to http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/egg. Have a wonderful holiday!

Learning idioms is only one piece of learning English (or another language).  Another piece of this is improving pronunciation skills. Business Speech Improvement offers intensive seminars and also hourly sessions on this. To learn more about this, click here..

American Slang and Idiomatic Expressions: Between the Insiders and Everyone Else

Have you ever wondered what a group of people was talking about? The words did not seem to fit their literal meaning. "What's up, man?" ,"Sorry, Charlie!" ,  "Bless your heart", "Table it!", and "Mash it" are all examples.

Idioms and slang are ways we distinguish between linguistic insiders and outsiders of a group. For those on the outside,  and that can be people new to English, new to a community, or new to a small work group, there are such things as idiom dictionaries, which are free and online. Although not all slang is included, it's worth checking to see if a particular expression is included. One we recommend is http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/. Note, though, that this covers slang from the UK as well as the USA; be sure to check the location where a given expression is used.

Sometimes the meaning of the expression varies depending on the person's tone of voice, as in the expression "Bless your heart". In that case, it can mean a sarcastic "you poor thing" (with the sarcasm showing the person means the opposite of that) or "you did something wonderful".

Sometimes the expressions are regional or even local, with outsiders left to wonder the true meaning.

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive coaching in American English Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals, and includes coaching in the use of idioms if requested.

Using local expressions with non-local customers?

Using local expressions with non-local customers?

A luxury hotel asked for help because guests were confused by some interactions with staff members. The staff, such as room attendants and front desk staff, were using local expressions which the guests did not understand.

Examples were "mash the light" (meaning "turn out the light"), put it up (meaning "put it away),  "bless your heart" (which has different meanings depending on the situation and the speaker's tone of voice) and "turn at the red light" (meaning "turn at the light, regardless of whether it was red or green"). A manufacturing operation in another town had problems when staff used the expression, "I don't care to" (which meant there  that  "I'm happy to").

Local expressions are fine if your listener is local, and a native. Otherwise, the use of local expressions can be a communication impediment; listeners can be confused or misinterpret them. In situations where the listener is in pain or sick (such as medical facilities),  traveling , in a luxury facility (such as an upscale hotel) or otherwise stressed, the use of local expressions is not appropriate for conveying a professional message.

If your staff is using local expressions, the first thing to do is to compile a list of the local expressions and their intended meaning. Newcomers to the area can help you identify such as expressions as they will notice them more easily. Then write the standard English meaning next to each expression and explain to the staff that standard English needs to be used on the job with customers to get the message across clearly. So, get out your "ink pen" and start writing!

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in verbal skills, and consults with businesses in many industries on improving communication skills.