Hello, and welcome back to Business English Pod for the second part of our series on English idioms related to technology.
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Every day you use dozens of high -tech devices and apps to communicate, plan, organize, monitor, and store information.
It's almost impossible to imagine the workplace before modern technology.
It's also almost impossible to imagine the English language without all the idioms we use related to technology.
If you want to be on the same wavelength as expert English speakers, you can't ignore idioms.
And I just used a prime example there.
If you're on the same wavelength, it means you understand each other.
This comes from radio technology, where you have to be tuned to the same frequency to receive a signal.
As you can see, an idiom has a special meaning that isn't always clear.
You can think about words on their own, but that won't help you.
You need to learn idioms as chunks of language with a special meaning beyond the individual words.
In this way, you will be able to communicate even better in English.
In this lesson, we'll rejoin a conversation at an engineering company between Maggie, Antonio, and Finn.
They're continuing their conversation about upgrading the tech systems in their company.
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. What does Antonio say about HR and their training plans?
Two, why didn't the company move to PayWork Software a couple of years ago?
Three, how does Antonio describe the new servers that are available?
I hear you. I almost blew a fuse last week when someone invited me to a Zoom meeting.
Yeah, I find this frustrating too.
I mean, it's not rocket science, is it?
No, but we may just have to hit the reset button on the whole migration and figure out a better training plan.
Agreed. No need to work out the nuts and bolts of that here, but we can put it on the list for discussion with HR.
OK, HR. I know they've got a lot of training in the pipeline already, so we might have to push to get it up the list.
Just saying. Duly noted.
We don't have HR here at the table, so need to be careful we don't get our wires crossed.
Now, can we talk about the financial systems for a sec?
right I guess this is where I get a bit worried about change someone was trying to tell me about all the next -gen accounting software and I just well some of it is overkill I get it but we have talked about payroll and how ADP is so frustrating absolutely didn't we look at switching over to payworks
a couple years back?
Well, at the time, we said we didn't need all the bells and whistles it came with, so it was a no -go at that time.
But it's worth another look for sure.
Things are, well, just more complicated with a bigger staff.
An international staff.
Yeah, this one feels important.
If we want to be firing on all cylinders, operationally speaking, we can't be getting bogged down with ADP all the time.
I'm with you on that.
But what we haven't talked about is what's happening in the background.
I mean with hardware and security.
The new servers available are like light years ahead of what we're running on now.
Not my area of expertise.
But I've had glitches that are, well, weird ghost in the machine sort of stuff.
Maybe it's a hardware issue, if we're not up to date there.
Yeah, well, I definitely think this is something to talk about.
Bad actors, hackers, they've really been pushing the envelope lately.
And I think we've got a lot of security holes we're going to need to take care of.
Now let's go through the dialogue again.
And look at the idioms the colleagues used.
We join the conversation after they have been talking about how they have switched from Zoom to Microsoft Teams.
But they're frustrated that not everyone has made the switch.
I hear you. I almost blew a fuse last week when someone invited me to a Zoom meeting.
Yeah, I find this frustrating too.
I mean, it's not rocket science, is it?
Why is Maggie talking about rocket science when Zoom is a video conferencing technology?
Well, not rocket science is an idiom.
If we say that something is not rocket science, we mean that it's easy to learn or understand.
This idiom is especially useful when someone finds something difficult that shouldn't be difficult, and we always say something is not rocket science, as you can hear in the following examples.
The new reporting system isn't rocket science.
Once you get used to it, it's easy to use.
Organizing the event may take time, but it's not rocket science.
Clearly, not everyone has switched to Teams as instructed.
Finn has a possible solution to the problem.
No, but we may just have to hit the reset button on the whole migration and figure out a better training plan.
A migration is when you move from one place or software to another.
And when we migrate technologies, we normally provide training support to staff.
Clearly, the training they provided for switching from Zoom to Teams hasn't worked well.
For this reason, Finn thinks they should hit the reset button.
A reset button on a computer or other machine turns it off and back on again.
We talk about hitting the reset button when something isn't working and we need to start over.
Let's try some more ways of using hit the reset button.
After the merger didn't go as planned, we decided to hit the reset button.
Let's hit the reset button on this campaign and start fresh.
What does Maggie think about hitting the reset button on the training for teams?
Let's listen. Agreed.
No need to work out the nuts and bolts of that here.
But we can put it on the list for discussion with HR.
Maggie supports the idea of starting over with training.
But she doesn't want to work out all the details during this meeting.
Or, as she says, she doesn't want to work out the nuts and bolts.
Nuts and bolts are small metal pieces of hardware used for joining or fastening objects or materials.
When we talk about nuts and bolts, we're talking about the small details in a plan, a project, or a proposal.
Maggie uses this idiom, nuts and bolts, to refer to the details of a proposed new training plan.
Let's run through some more ways to use this idea.
We'll go over the nuts and bolts of the project in the next meeting.
Now Maggie mentioned that they should talk to HR about the training.
HR is Human Resources or the department that manages people in training.
Let's hear what Antonio thinks of this idea.
Okay, HR. I know they've got a lot of training in the pipeline already, so we might have to push to get it up the list.
Just saying. Obviously, the training this group is discussing is important, but they might have to work to convince HR to prioritize it because they have a lot in the pipeline.
A pipeline carries oil or gas.
A pipeline can only carry a certain amount at a time.
When we talk about things that are in the pipeline, it means they're in development.
They haven't been completed or launched yet.
So if HR has a lot of training in the pipeline, then they have many different trainings planned.
Let's practice using In the Pipeline with a few more examples.
We have some exciting products in the pipeline for next quarter The marketing team has a new campaign in the pipeline for spring Now let's get back to the dialogue As Maggie says, duly noted To make it clear that she will remember Antonia's point about HR Duly noted We don't have HR here at the table,
so need to be careful we don't get our wires crossed.
Now, can we talk about the financial systems for a sec?
Maggie is concerned that without HR at the meeting or at the table, there will be some miscommunication.
Or that the group will prioritize training on the transition to teams but not make it clear to HR.
In a situation where you don't have the same understanding as someone else, we say that you get your wires crossed.
If you think about the wires inside a machine, getting them crossed means getting them in the wrong place.
Obviously, this would mean the machine won't work properly.
Let's try a short dialogue to practice this idiom, to get your wires crossed.
I'm sorry I'm late for lunch.
Oh, that's okay. I think we just got our wires crossed about the time.
At this point, Finn comes back to one of the concerns he expressed at the start of the conversation, back in our previous lesson.
Right. I guess this is where I get a bit worried about change.
Someone was trying to tell me about all the next -gen accounting software.
And I just... Well, some of it is overkill.
Overkill means that something is too much, too big, too powerful, or too complicated.
Finn uses this word to describe next -gen accounting software.
In this idiom, gen means generation.
And while usually the word generation refers to people of a certain age group, we also use it to describe technology.
When a new version of a device or software comes out, we call it a new generation.
Finn's point is that a lot of new technology, or next -gen technology, is unnecessarily complex.
Let's try some more ways of using this idiom, next -gen.
Our next -gen software will provide faster performance and new features.
The company is investing in next -gen technology for sustainable energy.
Finn is concerned about too much change.
But for Maggie and Antonio, there are specific technologies that aren't working well.
I get it. But we have talked about payroll, and how ADP is so frustrating.
Absolutely. Didn't we look at switching over to payworks a couple years back?
Well, at the time we said we didn't need all the bells and whistles it came with, so it was a no -go, at that time.
Software that you use to track time and wages and to pay your employees is payroll software.
As you can hear, they talked about changing the system they used previously.
At that time, however, they felt that the new software had unnecessary bells and whistles.
Payroll software doesn't really have special bell and whistle sounds.
Bells and whistles just refer to special or extra features on a product.
Bells and whistles in a new car, for example, might mean a heated steering wheel, a computer display, and self -driving features.
As Finn points out, a couple of years ago they didn't need the bells and whistles that came with Payworks.
How else can we use this idiom?
Let's run through some more examples.
Sure, the software has all the bells and whistles, but it's too expensive for us.
This model comes with all the bells and whistles, but a basic version is also available.
They didn't need the bells and whistles two years ago, but a lot has changed since then, as you can hear.
But it's worth another look for sure.
Things are, well, just more complicated with a bigger staff, an international staff.
Yeah, this one feels important.
If we want to be firing on all cylinders, operationally speaking, we can't be getting bogged down with ADP all the time.
Maggie doesn't want to be slowed down or bogged down with their current payroll software.
Rather, she wants the team to be firing on all cylinders.
Cylinders are an important part of an engine.
When they are working well, then the engine is operating at peak performance.
If a person or team or process is firing on all cylinders, then it is operating smoothly or efficiently.
That's what Maggie wants their team to be doing with the right technologies.
Let's try using to fire on all cylinders with a few more examples.
The team is firing on all cylinders to get the project finished by the deadline.
When everyone fires on all cylinders, we can really boost productivity.
Antonio agrees with Maggie, but he identifies an even bigger problem than software.
I'm with you on that.
But what we haven't talked about is what's happening in the background.
I mean with hardware and security.
The new servers available are, like, light years ahead of what we're running on now.
Servers are the central computers and software that host and run apps and online services, such as a website or a CRM.
If your company's servers aren't powerful enough or safe enough, then software is the least of your problems.
According to Antonio, there are new servers that are light years ahead of what they're using now.
You may be able to guess that ahead means more advanced.
But what is light years?
A light year is a very, very long distance used to measure things in space, like the distance between stars.
This idiom light years ahead simply means much more advanced.
Let's run through some more ways of using this idiom.
This technology is light years ahead of anything our competitors offer.
The new CEO's vision is light years ahead, focusing on innovation and growth.
As we can hear, Finn has had some strange glitches or problems that might relate to the old servers.
Not my area of expertise, but I've had glitches that are, well, weird ghost -in -the -machine sort of stuff.
Maybe it's a hardware issue, if we're not up to date there.
Finn talks about the problems he's experienced as a ghost in the machine.
You might not believe in ghosts, but have you ever had strange or unusual things happen on your computer or phone?
When this happens, we sometimes say there's a ghost in the machine.
This idiom suggests that there's a person or a conscious computer making things happen.
We use it to describe unusual or unexplained activity in a technology.
Let's run through some more examples of this idiom, ghost in the machine.
There seems to be a ghost in the machine causing random system crashes.
IT is trying to find the ghost in the machine that's affecting our software.
Now let's hear how the conversation ends, as Maggie agrees that the old servers may be a problem.
Yeah, well, I definitely think this is something to talk about.
Bad actors, hackers, they've really been pushing the envelope lately.
And I think we've got a lot of security holes we're going to need to take care of.
There are certain people who look for security holes in large computer systems.
Sometimes they want to steal data or just cause chaos.
These people who break into computer systems are called hackers, and hackers are a kind of bad actor or a person who behaves unethically or illegally.
Maggie is worried because these criminals are pushing the envelope.
In this case, envelope doesn't refer to a container for a letter or other mail.
Rather, it refers to the flight envelope, which is basically the limits of an airplane's movement and performance.
If a person pushes the envelope, they are changing what is possible or trying something new and extreme.
The hackers that Maggie talks about are getting more and more dangerous as they push the envelope.
Let's run through a few more examples of this idiom.
Our R &D team is always pushing the envelope to develop groundbreaking products.
This design really pushes the envelope in terms of style and functionality.
As we have heard, Maggie, Finn, and Antonio have identified some key technologies that they need to improve.
This includes not only software, like payroll, but also hardware, like their service.
Technology is always changing very quickly, so this kind of conversation is very common in companies around the world.
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, Their technology is more advanced than our current offering.
You can say, Their technology is light years ahead of our current offering.
After each response, we'll provide the correct answer.
Ready? Let's give it a go.
We have several exciting projects in the planning stage for next year.
Answer. We have several exciting projects in the pipeline for next year.
This new campaign really goes beyond normal limits in terms of creativity answer this new campaign really pushes the envelope in terms of creativity managing a team isn't very difficult just stay organized Answer.
Managing a team isn't rocket science, just stay organized.
Let's focus on the details of the proposal tomorrow.
Answer. Let's focus on the nuts and bolts of the proposal tomorrow.
The new model includes extra special features to attract buyers.
Answer. The new model includes extra bells and whistles to attract buyers.
to technology. We've learned many different useful expressions that can be used not just for technology, but in other areas as well.
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Thanks for listening, and see you again soon.
