Page 165 - Perfect Phrases ESL Everyday Business

Appendix B

Sports Idioms

and Expressions

People in the United States play, watch, and enjoy many sports, even
the less-familiar ones. Sports idioms and expressions are used in
everyday conversations and in business. The following are just some
of the very many examples of sports idioms and expressions used in
business or personal life.

Phrases from Baseball

Touch base: Whenever a batter reaches any base, he must touch
that base. In business or personal life, it means to contact someone
briefly to renew an acquaintance or check on information. “I really
have to touch base with my manager about the new machines.”
Hit a home run: A batter hits a home run when he hits the ball
so far that he can run around all the bases and reach home plate. In
business or personal life, to hit a home run is to achieve the most suc-
cessful outcome possible. “The new chemist is very good; I really hit a
home run when I hired her.”
Batting a thousand: A thousand is the most successful batting
average possible. In business or personal life, this means never mak-

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