Hello and welcome back to Business English Pod for today's lesson on English idioms related to technology.
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The world of tech has given rise to a host of new vocabulary and terminology.
Think about a phrase like to reboot, which originally referred to restarting a computer, but is now commonly used to mean starting over in any context.
Idioms like that highlight how mastering language goes beyond just grammar.
Indeed, many language learners spend a lot of time trying to figure out the nuts and bolts of a language.
By that, I mean the grammar, writing system, sounds and basic vocabulary of a language.
The thing is, once we've got the nuts and bolts, it can feel like our progress stalls.
Getting to the next level requires you to move beyond basic vocabulary and master expressions like idioms.
For example, a second ago I mentioned the nuts and bolts of language.
Nuts and bolts are a way of connecting things made of metal.
So why am I using those words when I talk about language?
Because nuts and bolts is used as an idiom to refer to the basic parts or pieces of something.
And with technology as such an important part of our lives, it's no wonder we have so many English idioms related to technology.
In this lesson, we'll listen to a conversation at an engineering company.
The company is led by Maggie, Antonio, and Finn.
They're talking about how the growth in their company requires upgrades to all their tech systems.
In their discussion, they use many idioms related to technology.
See if you can spot some of these, and we'll explain them later in the debrief.
As you listen to the dialogue, try to answer the following questions.
1. Near the start of the meeting, what does Finn say he wants to avoid doing?
2. What does Maggie worry might happen if they don't improve or level up their tech systems?
3. What does Antonio say the company did with Zoom not long ago?
Thanks for blocking out the time for this.
I know things are super busy, but we really need to look at some changes on the tech front.
Yeah, I think we're on the same wavelength there.
Things are pretty wonky.
So yeah, time for a change.
I get what you're saying, but I hope we're not just talking about change for the sake of change.
No need to hit the panic button, is there?
I mean, the move to uptick for project management has been a lot to take on, so we're not going to reinvent the wheel on everything, right?
No, of course not. But we're not the well -oiled machine we once were.
Victims of our own success, in a way.
And uptick has certainly exposed some shortcomings all around.
Agreed. With the growth we're seeing, it's a different game now.
We used to think we were ahead of the curve just because we used slack, but...
Okay, I get it. I'm just worried if we go back to the drawing board on everything, comms, financial stuff, we can't really handle all that at once.
No, we'd have to pace this out.
But if we don't level up, I'm afraid we'll crash and burn.
So, can we just take stock, then, of what we're talking about here?
What's not working, and what's working okay?
Well, I'd start with the CRM.
This is where we're seeing the most issues.
And we're still ironing out all the bugs with integration because our old CapSuite CRM is just, well, old.
Yes, that's one I can definitely agree on.
We've talked before about how Salesforce or HubSpot would be a better fit.
yeah neither are quite the turnkey solution we're looking for but better than what we have and i think we need to figure out this whole zoom versus teams thing too jane just sent me a meeting invite with a zoom link and i was like we pulled the plug on zoom months ago we're not doing this anymore i
hear you i almost blew a fuse last week when someone invited me to a zoom meeting Now let's go through the dialogue again and look at the idioms featured in the conversation.
At the beginning, Maggie is thanking the others for blocking out the time or making room in their schedules for this important conversation.
Thanks for blocking out the time for this.
I know things are super busy, but we really need to look at some changes on the tech front.
Yeah, I think we're on the same wavelength there.
Things are pretty wonky.
So, yeah, time for a change.
Maggie has thanked her colleagues because she knows they're busy.
But Antonio doesn't doubt that it's an important discussion.
He agrees with Maggie about the importance of the conversation by saying they're on the same wavelength.
This idiom comes from the world of radio and telecommunications.
To receive a signal or a broadcast, you need to be tuned to the same wavelength.
When people are on the same wavelength, it means they understand each other and communication is clear.
What are some other ways to use this idiom on the same wavelength?
Let's practice with a few more examples.
These meetings are easier when everyone is on the same wavelength.
After agreeing the project goals, I think we're finally on the same wavelength.
So is the group really on the same wavelength?
It's not clear if Finn agrees.
I get what you're saying, but I hope we're not just talking about change for the sake of change.
No need to hit the panic button, is there?
Finn sounds a bit worried that they will make changes just because they think change is a good thing.
But he doesn't want to hit the panic button.
He means that he doesn't want them to overreact.
In a military airplane, there's a button that will eject the pilot from the plane so he can parachute to Earth.
A pilot will hit the button if the plane is damaged and he needs to get out safely.
So, to hit the panic button has come to mean taking a big action in a crisis.
Usually, we tell people not to hit the panic button as a way of telling them not to react too strongly.
Let's run through some more ways of using this idiom.
The team hit the panic button when sales dropped unexpectedly.
Don't hit the panic button just because we missed one deadline.
Next, Finn tries to clarify what he means.
Let's listen. I mean, the move to uptick for project management has been a lot to take on, So we're not going to reinvent the wheel on everything, right?
As Finn mentions, they've already made a big change in project management.
The new software has been a lot to take on or adopt.
Of course, when a company makes changes to its technology, it's important to manage that change well.
So Finn is worried about reinventing the wheel on everything.
In the world of technology, the wheel is often referred to as one of the first and one of the greatest technologies.
And when we talk about reinventing the wheel, we're talking about creating something new that actually already exists.
Or it can mean to waste time discussing unnecessary changes.
Let's try some more examples of this idiom to reinvent the wheel.
Instead of reinventing the wheel, let's use the software already available.
There's no need to reinvent the wheel if we've done something similar before.
Now let's hear how Maggie responds to Finn's concerns.
No, of course not. But we're not the well -oiled machine we once were.
Maggie doesn't want to reinvent the wheel, but she does think some changes are necessary.
As she says, the company is no longer a well -oiled machine.
As you may know if you've ever owned a car, an engine needs oil to run smoothly.
Well -oiled machines not only run well, They don't wear out as fast.
By saying their company isn't the well -oiled machine it used to be, Maggie is saying that things aren't functioning smoothly.
Let's try some other ways of using this idiom, well -oiled machine.
Our logistics team runs like a well -oiled machine during peak season.
With everyone working together, the office operates like a well -oiled machine.
Next, Maggie goes on to explain that it's their success in growth that has created the situation, and the new project management software is making it clear that there are some problems.
Let's listen. Victims of our own success, in a way, and Uptick has certainly exposed some shortcomings all around.
Agreed. With the growth we're seeing, it's a different game now.
We used to think we were ahead of the curve just because we use slack, but...
As you know, technology changes very quickly.
It can be hard to keep up.
Antonio points out that they used to think they were ahead of the curve, but now he suggests that they are not ahead of the curve anymore, and it's a different game or context.
In this case, the curve comes from a statistical graph.
You may be familiar with a bell -shaped graph that shows how many people are in the middle part of the highest part of the graph.
If you're ahead of the curve, it means you're out in front of the average, doing things that the average person or company isn't doing yet.
How else can we talk about being ahead of the curve?
Let's run through some more examples.
Investing in AI early helped us stay ahead of the curve in our industry.
To be ahead of the curve, we need to keep up with the latest market trends.
Now let's get back to the dialogue, as Finn continues explaining his concerns about change management.
okay i get it i'm just worried if we go back to the drawing board on everything comms financial stuff we can't really handle all that at once we saw that reinventing the wheel is about wasting time on unnecessary changes now what is finn talking about when he says back to the drawing board well think
about how many new technologies start?
Often, new technologies begin with a rough design.
Someone sketches out what the machine or equipment might look like, and they do this on a drawing board.
So if you go back to the drawing board, it means you are saying that something really doesn't work, and you have to start all over again with a new solution.
Let's practice talking about going back to the drawing board with a short dialogue.
Hey, how did the team like your new design?
They hated it, so I guess it's back to the drawing board for me.
Finn is concerned about the pace of change, or how fast they change, but Maggie is more worried about the impact of not changing.
Let's listen. No, we'd have to pace this out.
But if we don't level up, I'm afraid we'll crash and burn.
To understand what Maggie means by crash and burn, think again about an airplane in a war.
The worst possible situation is for your airplane to get hit by an enemy airplane.
Once you're hit, there's a good chance that your airplane will crash to the ground and burn.
Now we use crash and burn more generally to talk about any really bad failure and its impact.
Let's try some more ways of talking about failure with this idiom to crash and burn.
This product launch could crash and burn if we don't get this right.
I thought the pitch would go well, but it completely crashed and burned.
At this point, Antonio is able to get the group past the issue of changing or not changing by suggesting they make a list of things that need to be discussed.
So, can we just take stock then of what we're talking about here?
What's not working, and what's working okay?
Well, I'd start with the CRM.
This is where we're seeing the most issues.
And we're still ironing out all the bugs with integration because our old cap suite CRM is just, well, old.
The first technology Maggie wants to talk about is their Customer Relationship Management Software, or CRM.
Their current CRM is quite old, and it doesn't work well or integrate well with other new software they're running.
As Maggie says, they're still ironing out all the bugs.
This is actually a mix of idioms.
When we iron out problems, we're solving them, just as you would remove wrinkles from your clothes by using a hot iron.
And bugs are small but important problems with a process or a computer program.
So if you iron out the bugs in something, you're figuring out how to solve all the little problems to make it work well.
How else can we talk about ironing out the bugs in something?
Let's try a few more examples.
We need to iron out the bugs before releasing the app to customers.
Our developer is working hard to iron out the bugs in the software.
Antonio has some suggestions for a better CRM, as we can hear.
Yes, that's one I can definitely agree on.
We've talked before about how Salesforce or HubSpot would be a better fit.
Yeah, neither are quite the turnkey solution we're looking for, but better than what we have.
Finn doesn't agree completely with the potential CRMs that Antonio suggests.
He thinks they're better than their current CRM, but still are not the turnkey solution they need.
What's a turnkey solution?
Well, a turnkey solution is one that is already complete and can be easily introduced into your current operations.
Turnkey solutions are easy to implement, so it might mean less time spent ironing out the bugs.
Let's practice some more ways of using this idiom, turnkey solution, when discussing new technologies.
We offer a turnkey solution for small businesses needing a complete IT setup.
The company purchased a turnkey solution to streamline their operations.
Antonio has another type of technology that he wants to sort out.
This one is related to communications technologies.
Let's listen. And I think we need to figure out this whole Zoom versus Teams thing, too.
Jane just sent me a meeting invite with a Zoom link, and I was like, we pulled the plug on Zoom months ago.
We're not doing this anymore.
Teams and Zoom are, as you probably already know, two popular video conferencing apps.
Antonio is frustrated because both are still being used in their company after they made the decision not to use Zoom anymore.
As Antonio says, they pulled the plug on Zoom.
When you actually pull the plug on something, you are disconnecting it from the electrical source.
More generally, any time we are ending something or no longer supporting it, we can say we are pulling the plug.
Let's run through some more ways of talking about pulling the plug when we end our support for something.
Management decided to pull the plug on the project after the budget overrun.
If funding doesn't improve, they might pull the plug on this new venture.
At the end of the conversation, Finn uses one last idiom in describing his response to someone who is still using Zoom.
I hear you. I almost blew a fuse last week when someone invited me to a Zoom meeting.
Like pulling a plug, this idiom to blow a fuse comes from the world of electricity and power.
A fuse is a safety device that prevents an electrical circuit from experiencing too much power, which is dangerous.
When a circuit is overpowered, the fuse will blow or break, which stops the flow of electricity.
If a person blows a fuse, it means they become really upset or angry.
Blowing a fuse is a strong reaction to something that happens that is just too much for us to tolerate.
Let's try using the idiom to blow a fuse with a short dialogue.
So, Daniel really blew a fuse in that meeting.
Yeah, I wonder what made him so angry.
So through his example of blowing a fuse over someone using Zoom, Finch shows that he is in agreement about the need to discuss changes in technology.
He started off very concerned about change management, but now the team is on the same wavelength about many of the technologies that need to be considered.
Now let's practice some of the idioms from this lesson.
In a moment, you'll hear a series of sentences.
Each sentence will be followed by a beep.
After the beep, you need to restate or rephrase the sentence using one of the idioms we learned today.
When you listen to the sentence, think about which idea can be replaced by one of the idioms.
For example, if you hear, The company canceled the project last month.
You can say, After each response, we'll provide the correct answer.
Ready? Let's give it a go.
We're working hard to clear up problems in the new app.
Beep. Answer. We're working hard to iron out the bugs in the new app.
Our green initiatives keep us more advanced than others in the industry.
Answer. Our green initiatives keep us ahead of the curve in the industry.
We work well together when we're thinking in the same way.
Answer. We work well together when we're on the same wavelength.
John reacted with fear when sales dropped unexpectedly.
Answer. John hit the panic button when sales dropped unexpectedly.
With good teamwork, the office operates like a very smooth operation.
Answer. With good teamwork, the office operates like a well -oiled machine.
you we've reached the end of this lesson the first in our two -part series on idioms related to technology we've learned lots of great expressions that come from the world of technology to talk about how things work and how people behave in our next lesson we'll hear the group use more useful idioms
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Thanks for listening, and see you again soon.
