nine to five
A standard daytime job with regular working hours, typically from morning to late afternoon.
Example: He left his nine to five job to start his own bakery.
A212 words · Elementary
Business Idioms vocabulary — A2
Business idioms for the basics of having a job, with everyday phrases like nine to five, clock in and call it a day for describing work routines.
12 questions
Words in this set
12call it a day
To decide to stop working on something for now.
Example:
We've been at this for hours — let's call it a day.
get down to business
To stop chatting or delaying and start working seriously on the main task.
Example:
Once everyone arrived, we got down to business.
on the job
While actually doing the work itself, rather than in a classroom.
Example:
She learned most of her skills on the job.
a day off
A period of twenty-four hours when someone does not have to go to work.
Example:
I'm taking a day off to visit my grandparents.
learn the ropes
To find out how to do a new job or task properly.
Example:
It took me a week to learn the ropes at my new office.
clock in
To officially record the moment you arrive to start your shift.
Example:
I need to clock in before nine every morning.
a team player
Someone who works well with others in a group.
Example:
The manager wants someone who's a team player.
on call
Available to work if needed, especially outside normal working hours.
Example:
The doctor is on call this weekend.
call in sick
To phone your workplace to say you are ill and cannot come in.
Example:
She had to call in sick with a bad cold.
start from scratch
To begin again from the very beginning.
Example:
The file was lost so she had to start from scratch.
hard at work
Busy doing something with full attention.
Example:
The whole team was hard at work when the power went off.
