Getting Started
These 12 idioms are about beginning something — a new job, a project, or a hard conversation.
Practice this set for free — no account needed. Loads 12 flashcards into the learner.
Practice in the free learnerHow to study this set
Say each idiom in a sentence about your own work, even a made-up one — it sticks far better than the definition alone.
All 12 flashcards
What does the idiom "learn the ropes" mean?
To learn the basic skills needed for a job or task.
It took her a few weeks to learn the ropes at her new job.
What does the idiom "get down to business" mean?
To start dealing with the important matters at hand.
After some small talk, they got down to business.
What does the idiom "hit the ground running" mean?
To start something with a lot of energy and speed from the very beginning.
The new manager hit the ground running on her first day.
What does the idiom "get the ball rolling" mean?
To start a process or activity.
Let’s get the ball rolling on the new project.
What does the idiom "take the plunge" mean?
To decide to do something after thinking about it for a while, especially something risky.
She took the plunge and started her own company.
What does the idiom "from scratch" mean?
Starting with nothing, from the very beginning.
They built the business from scratch.
What does the idiom "get off the ground" mean?
To reach a stage where something starts working successfully.
It took a year to get the new product off the ground.
What does the idiom "test the waters" mean?
To try something out cautiously before fully committing.
We launched a small version first, just to test the waters.
What does the idiom "get your foot in the door" mean?
To get an initial opportunity that could lead to further success.
The internship helped her get her foot in the door at the company.
What does the idiom "start from square one" mean?
To begin again from the very beginning, usually after a failure.
The deal fell through, so we had to start from square one.
What does the idiom "get up to speed" mean?
To reach the level of knowledge or ability needed for a task.
It took him a week to get up to speed on the new system.
What does the idiom "roll up your sleeves" mean?
To prepare to work hard.
It’s time to roll up our sleeves and get this done.
What to learn next
Next: Level 2, "Getting Things Done" — idioms about effort and teamwork.
Continue to Level 2: Getting Things Done →