Essential Business English Idioms You Need to Know (With Examples & Fun Quiz)

Business English Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of Common Work Idioms (With Examples) by REAL Business English

Welcome to the Business English Idioms Quiz!

Today’s Focus:

Learn business English idioms for talking about surprises so you can sound more natural and confident at work.

Using idioms makes you sound more natural, express emotion more clearly, and connect better with your audience in meetings and presentations.

Today’s Challenge:

Imagine this! You suddenly receive a job offer that you didn’t expect at all. What idiom would you use to describe this surprise?

I didn’t expect that! The offer came ______.

A) out of the sun

B) out of the blue

C) from the clouds

D) down from the sky

Pick the best answer and see how well you know Business English idioms!

Did you get it right?

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That's right! The correct answer is B) out of the blue.

Essential Business English Idioms for Talking About Surprises

Surprises happen all the time at work — new projects, sudden changes, unexpected offers. Using the right idiom can help you describe these moments naturally and connect better with colleagues. Let’s look at some common Business English idioms to talk about surprises.

Please follow the steps below.

Step 1. Match the two parts to make complete idioms.

1. OUT OF...	a) BY SURPRISE
2. TAKE someone...	b) GUARD
3. CATCH someone OFF...	c) SOCKS OFF
4. KNOCK someone's...	d) THE BLUE
5. HIT LIKE A TON...	e) OF BRICKS

The ANSWER KEY is at the bottom of the page.

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Step 2. Read each idiom, its definition, and the example sentence.

OUT OF THE BLUE

idiom

happening completely unexpectedly

 The job offer came out of the blue.

TAKE SOMEONE BY SURPRISE

idiom

to do something that someone does not expect

Her decision to leave the company took everyone by surprise.

CATCH someone OFF GUARD

idiom

to do something when someone is not ready for it

The tough question in the meeting caught me off guard.

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KNOCK someone's SOCKS OFF

idiom, informal

to really impress or amaze someone

The comedian’s show last night was so hilarious it knocked everyone’s socks off — people were laughing so hard they were crying!

HIT LIKE A TON OF BRICKS

idiom, informal

to have a strong emotional impact, to shock someone

The news of the budget cuts hit the staff like a ton of bricks.

Step 3. Choose the right word and check how well you know these Business English idioms.

Great job making it through the quiz! Using Business English idioms naturally takes time, and you’re already doing great. Try to use these expressions in casual conversations or when talking with friends. Watch for them — the more you hear and use them, the more natural they will feel.

ANSWER KEY

Step 1.

1 d)

2 a)

3 b)

4 c)

5 e)

Step 3.

1. I thought I had prepared for every possible question, but that one comment from the client really caught me off guard.

A) with

B) of

C) off

2. Realizing I had forgotten to submit the proposal on time hit me like a ton of bricks.

A) ton

B) bag

C) bunch

3. We were just about to launch when, out of the blue, our main supplier canceled the contract.

A) sky

B) clouds

C) blue

4. Her speech knocked our socks off. Everyone gave her a standing ovation before she even finished.

A) pants

B) socks

C) shoes

5. The inspection took us by surprise, but we handled it professionally.

A) shock

B) surprise

C) jump

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