But today, we’re diving into something a little different: slang.

While idioms are often used in presentations and meetings, slang is more casual. It’s what people say in the break room, in a team chat, or after a long Zoom call. Slang helps you sound more natural, confident, and in tune with how American professionals really speak.

In this post, you’ll learn 16 slang terms that are common in the U.S. workplace. These are the words you’ll hear on Zoom, in meetings, or over lunch with colleagues.

Let’s dive in!

Read this dialogue and then we’ll review the slang terms:

Scene: Alex and Maya are coworkers on a marketing team. It’s the day after a big product launch, and they’re chatting in the office kitchen while grabbing coffee in the office kitchen, still recovering from the long day…

Alex: Thanks—I appreciate that. Honestly, I was wrecked by the end of the day. Barely slept the night before.

Maya: Yeah, I saw your Slack at like 2:30 a.m. I thought you were gonna bail on the kickoff call.

Alex: I almost did. I even pinged Samantha to see if she could cover for me, but she totally ghosted me.

Maya: Classic Samantha. She’s been such a flake lately—total no-show again this morning. Anyway, I think the launch looked great, but that internal follow-up meeting afterward? Total drag.

Alex: Right? I was ready to bounce after the first 15 minutes. Same slides, same talking points.

Maya: Yeah, but your campaign pivot idea? Total boss move. You pitched it so casually, but it totally landed.

Alex: It was definitely a bit of a flex—I’d been holding onto that idea since last week and was just waiting for the right moment to share it.

Maya: Well, it paid off. Now leadership wants a full deep dive on it in Thursday’s strategy session. Better start prepping.

Alex: Low-key dreading that already.

Maya: Same. And of course I’ve got back-to-back budget meetings that day, too.

Alex: Ugh, that’s a bummer! I owe you coffee after we survive Thursday.

Maya: Deal. But I’m bouncing now before someone ropes me into another “quick update.” Catch you later!

VOCABULARY

Example: Zoe’s been crushing it since she joined—her campaign got 10,000 signups in one week!

2. Wrecked

Example: I pulled an all-nighter to finish the slide deck and showed up to work absolutely wrecked.

3. Bail

Example: We were all set for the pitch, and then Marcus just bailed—no call, no message.

4. Ping

Example: If anything changes with the timeline, just ping me—I’ll be on my phone all day.

5. Ghosted

Example: We thought that investor was on board, and then he completely ghosted us after the Zoom call.

6. Classic

Example: The printer jammed again five minutes before the meeting—classic.

7. Flake

Example: Don’t assign Joe the deadline. He’s kind of a flake!

8. No-show

Example: I booked the meeting, sent the invite, even reminded her—and she was a total no-show.

9. Drag

Example: That status update meeting? A complete drag. We spent 40 minutes talking about font sizes.

10. Bounce

Example: As soon as the last slide went up, half the team bounced without saying a word.

11. Boss move

Example: She challenged the VP’s numbers—in front of everyone. Total boss move.

12. Flex

Example: Max said, “I finished the project over the weekend.” It was a clear flex—he wanted to show off!

13. Deep dive

Example: Let’s do a deep dive into user feedback before we touch the homepage copy again.

14. Low-key

Example: I’m low-key obsessed with our competitor’s branding. It’s just so clean.

15. Bummer

Example: They moved the product launch back two weeks. That’s a bummer—we were ready to go!

16. Like

Example: I was like, “Wait, are we seriously launching the new clothing line today?” And nobody had an answer.

Quiz: Test Your Workplace Slang Skills

2. You stayed up all night finishing a report and now you're exhausted. What slang word fits best?

3. If you bail on a meeting, what did you do?

4. “Just ping me when you’re ready to review the doc.” What does ping mean here?

5. If someone ghosts you after an interview, what happened?

6. What does it mean if someone says “Classic Mark” after he forgets to mute himself on Zoom again?

7. What’s a flake in workplace slang?

8. If a meeting is called a drag, what does that imply?

9. What does it mean if someone made a boss move during a presentation?

10. If someone says, “I’m low-key nervous about my pitch,” what are they trying to say?

✅ Answer Key

1. C – Performing extremely well

2. B – Wrecked

3. C – You left or canceled suddenly

4. B – Send a message

5. C – They disappeared and stopped replying

6. D – Mark did something he always does

7. B – A person who’s unreliable

8. C – It was boring or unpleasant

9. C – They made a bold, confident decision

10. B – They are slightly nervous but not showing it

For more American slang practice, please visit our full post on Substack American Slang! 

8 Tips for Emailing at Work

• Formal: “Dear Mr. / Ms. / Mrs. / Dr. / Professor [ + Last Name&91;,” – Best for first-time contacts or formal settings.

• Neutral: “Hello [+ First Name&91;,” – Works well in most business situations.

• Friendly: “Hi [+First Name&91;,” – Perfect for colleagues and professional contacts you know well.

➡️ Examples:
1)
Hi Sarah,
I hope your week is off to a great start!

2)
Dear Professor Smith,
I am writing about the exam next Friday.

2. Making Requests Politely

➡️ Requesting Information:
Subject: Quick Question About [Topic&91;

Hi [Name&91;,
I hope you're doing well. Could you please provide me with [specific information&91;?

Thanks in advance!
Best regards,
[Your Name&91;

➡️ Asking for Help:
Subject: Assistance Needed on [Topic&91;

Dear [Name&91;,
I’m reaching out because I could use your expertise on [specific request&91;. Would you be available for a brief call at your convenience?

Best regards,
[Your Name&91;

3. Responding to Emails Clearly and Professionally

➡️ Acknowledging Receipt:
Subject: Re: [Original Subject&91;

Hi [Name&91;,
Thanks for your email. I’ve received it and will review the details. I’ll get back to you by [specific time or date&91;.
Best,
[Your Name&91;

➡️ Providing an Update:
Subject: Update on [Project/Task&91;

Hi [Name&91;,
I wanted to update you on [specific task&91;. We’ve made progress on [mention key point&91; and expect to complete it by [deadline&91;. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Best,
[Your Name&91;

4. Following Up Without Sounding Pushy

➡️ Gentle Reminder:
Subject: Following Up on [Topic&91;

Hi [Name&91;,
I hope you're doing well. I wanted to check in on [previous request&91;. Let me know if you need any additional details from me.

Looking forward to your reply.
Best,
[Your Name&91;

➡️ Urgent Follow-Up:
Subject: Urgent: [Topic&91;

Dear [Name&91;,
I’m following up as this matter is time-sensitive. Could you please provide an update at your earliest convenience?

Thank you,
[Your Name&91;

5. Apologizing and Handling Mistakes Gracefully

➡️ Apologizing for a Delay:
Subject: Apologies for the Delay

Hi [Name&91;,
I sincerely apologize for the delay in [task or response&91;. [Brief explanation, if needed&91;. I appreciate your patience and will ensure this is resolved by [specific time&91;.

Best regards,
[Your Name&91;

➡️ Clarifying a Misunderstanding:
Subject: Clarification on [Topic&91;

Hi [Name&91;,
I wanted to follow up to clarify [specific issue&91;. I apologize for any confusion and appreciate the opportunity to ensure we're on the same page.

Please let me know if you’d like to discuss further.

Best regards,
[Your Name&91;

6. Reconnecting After a Long Break

➡️ Reconnecting with a Former Contact:
Subject: It’s Been a While!

Hi [Name&91;,
I hope you’re doing well! It’s been a while since we last connected, and I wanted to reach out to see how you’ve been. I’d love to catch up and hear about what you’ve been working on. Let me know if you’d be open to a quick chat. Looking forward to reconnecting!
Best,
[Your Name&91;

➡️ Following Up After a Networking Event:
Subject: Great Connecting at [Event Name&91;

Hi [Name&91;,
It was great meeting you at [event name&91;! I really enjoyed our conversation about [specific topic&91;. Let’s stay in touch—perhaps we could set up a time to continue our discussion? If you’d be open to that, please let me know what works for you.
Best,
[Your Name&91;

7. Closing Emails

• Formal: “Best regards,” “Sincerely,” “Respectfully,”

• Neutral: “Best,” “Kind regards,” “Looking forward to your response,”

• Friendly: “Thanks,” “Talk soon!” “Have a great day!”

➡️ Example Closing Email:
Subject: Next Steps for [Project&91;

Hi [Name&91;,
Thanks for your time today. Looking forward to moving ahead with [project/task&91;. Let’s touch base again on [date&91;.

Best,
[Your Name&91;

8. Retain your Personal Voice

Find out more about Speak English Like an American and enjoy lesson 1 in this video.

We are pleased to announce that three of our books on conversational English have made it to BookAuthority's Best English Idioms Books of All Time.

The three books recognized are:

Speak English Like an American

More Speak English Like an American

Speak Business English Like an American

BookAuthority collects and ranks the best books in the world, and it is a great honor to get this kind of recognition. Thank you for all your support!

The books are available on our website. Speak English Like an American is also available as on online course and as an app (IOS & Android). Speak Business English Like an American is available as the app Speak Business English for iOS and Android.

Sports are popular in American culture. Many American kids play sports, especially as an after-school activity. Many American adults play sports — golf is popular, as is tennis, basketball and soccer. And of course, there’s watching sports on TV, in particular ‘football’.

Every year, over 100 million viewers tune in to the Super Bowl. This is a football game between two of the top performing teams of the year in the National Football League (NFL). One team is the winner of the American Football Conference (AFC); the other team is the winner of the National Football Conference (NFC). These two are ‘pitted against’ each other in the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is the most watched American TV broadcast of the year.

Non-Americans sometimes refer to this sport as “American football” to distinguish it from what Americans call soccer: in our USA football, it’s all about grabbing the ball with your hands and running with it. In soccer, it’s all about kicking the ball and making sure you keep your hands off of it.

Given this love of sports, Americans talk about sports a lot. That has led to some of this “sports talk” to carry over to our figurative language in the form of idioms. Here are a few:

Let's look at where these three football idioms came from:

1) Monday morning quarterback

The idiom comes from the fact that American football games are usually played on Sunday. On the next day — Monday — it's easy to criticize what the quarterback did wrong. The quarterback is the player is the leader of the offense. Their performance can have a significant impact on the fortunes of his team. Before each play, the quarterback tells his team which play the team will run.

So this term is always negative. You may see it phrased as:

I don't mean to be a Monday morning quarterback ...

It's easy to be a Monday morning quarterback but ...

After a tackle, players have "piled on."

2) pile on

In football, this is when one or more players jump on top of a player after a tackle has been made. From the act of physically "piling on," comes the more figurative "piling on" of joining an argument or a verbal attack on a single person.

3) huddle up

When football players "huddle up," they gather close together to discuss a play. When managers in a company "huddle up," they meet to discuss a plan or strategy.

When to Blow the Whistle

A whistleblower is an employee who exposes illegal activity. Many employees choose to stay silent in the face of a possible problem at their company. They may worry that if they voice concerns, they’ll get a reputation as a troublemaker or a snitch.

Many companies have a culture of silence. Employees may feel discouraged from providing tip-offs. If they do speak up, their concerns may be brushed off.

Whistleblowers can also face retaliation. According to a New York Times article, “More than one in five employees interviewed said they experienced some sort of reprisal when they reported misconduct. These range from being excluded from decision-making activities and getting the cold shoulder from other employees to being passed over for promotion.”

No wonder so many employees turn a blind eye to unethical behavior. Despite the downsides, you should report any unethical behavior or crooked activities at your organization. If you don’t, your reputation could be on the line. If others know you have this information and see that you’re keeping mum, they may assume you’re involved.

Secondly, reporting unethical behavior can ensure that the wrongdoers will no longer be able to continue their fraudulent activities. It can take just one person to put a stop to this behavior. In 2002, Sherron Watkins blew the whistle at Enron. She had discovered accounting irregularities at the company. She first tried to warn the CEO, telling him in an anonymous memo that the company should come clean. The energy company was hiding billions of dollars in debt from failed deals. It was manipulating its financial statements. Watkins’ testimony to Congress led to the downfall of Enron.

Thirdly, people who are doing illegal things should not be allowed to get away with it. If they are, their bad behavior is likely to continue. They will never learn their lesson. They will continue to scam customers, partners and others and will jeopardize the existence of the company.

Vocabulary

in the face of – when confronted with; when one experiences

(to) voice concerns – to express one’s worries

snitch – one who tells on people; one who exposes another’s secrets (always in a negative sense)

tip-off - a piece of information, typically given in a confidential way

(to) speak up – to say what one is thinking, often to a superior 

(to) brush off – dismissed; not given any consideration

retaliation – revenge; the action of harming someone back

reprisal – an act of retaliation

misconduct – unacceptable behavior

(to) get the cold shoulder – to be ignored; to be snubbed by someone (the person who ‘gives’ you the cold shoulder)

passed over for promotion – to not give someone a promotion (even though they may deserve it)

no wonder – it’s not surprising that

(to) turn a blind eye – to ignore; to intentionally not focus on something that is unpleasant

downside – the negative part

crooked – dishonest; illegal (Note: this term is informal)

on the line – at risk

(to) keep mum – to stay silent

wrongdoer – someone who is at fault; one who does wrong

fraudulent – deceitful; illegal

(to) put a stop to – to stop

(to) blow the whistle – to report a wrongdoing, violation, or illegal activity to an employer or to the public

irregularities – corrupt practices, wrongdoing

(to) manipulate – to control or influence unfairly or dishonestly

downfall – ruin; end; collapse

(to) get away with – to escape blame or punishment

(to) learn one’s lesson – to understand that one has done is wrong and change future behavior

(to) jeopardize – to put (someone or something) into a situation in which there is a risk of failure, loss, or harm

(to) scam – to cheat someone

Quizzes

Quiz 1: Fill in the blanks

1) After Tracy reported her company to the Internal Revenue Service, she got the cold ____ from management.
a) arm
b) back
c) shoulder

2) If you think our chief financial officer is doing something wrong, you should blow the ____.
a) horn
b) whistle
c) trumpet

3) An internal investigation at Volkswagen is looking into managers who may have turned a ___ eye to the illegal software being installed in its cars.
a) clear
b) lazy
c) blind

4) Sherron Watkins decided to blow the whistle at Enron. She knew her reputation was ___ the line. 
a) above
b) in
c) on

5) Sherron Watkins tried to get Enron’s leadership to come ____ about the accounting practices she saw.
a) clean
b) fresh
c) open

Quiz 2: Select the best substitute for the phrase in bold

1) If you see fraudulent activities taking place at your company, you shouldn’t keep mum.
a) say anything
b) talk about it much
c) remain silent

2) We used to use the law firm of Corman & Steele, but they always overcharged us. Finally, we got tired of their crooked behavior.
a) honest
b) unfriendly
c) dishonest

3) Acting on a tip-off from any employee, the Internal Revenue Service launched an investigation into MagnaCorp.
a) anonymous information
b) advice
c) records

4) Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes scammed both customers and investors by misrepresenting the accuracy of the company’s blood tests.
a) cheated
b) supported
c) assisted

5) What led to the downfall of Enron? Fraudulent account practices.
a) beginning
b) end
c) success

Quiz 3: Test your comprehension. Choose the best response

1) According to the article, which of the following is one reason employees might not speak up if they suspect wrongdoing at their company?

a) They fear retaliation
b) They worry that they may be wrong
c) They worry they may get arrested

2) The New York Times reports that whistleblowers have faced all of these possible forms of retaliation, EXCEPT:
a) They have been passed over for promotion
b) They are excluded from decision making
c) They are sent to the police for questioning

3) What is one reason you should report unethical behavior when you see it?
a) You want to get a reputation as a ‘snitch’
b) You want to keep you a good reputation
c) You want to get people in trouble

ANSWER KEY: 

Quiz 1: 1) c; 2) b; 3) c; 4) c; 5) a

Quiz 2: 1) c; 2) c; 3) a; 4) a; 5) b

Quiz 3: 1) a; 2) c; 3) b