If you are putting something or someone on your schedule or to-do list with the knowledge that it may change later, you can say you will pencil it in.
You can use "it" to specify an event and "you" if you are talking to the person you are making the plans with.
Here are some examples of how to use this phrase:
If a conversation is going in a new direction and you want to return to a previous point, you can circle back.
In business, it’s very common for discussions to be directed away from the main point as new ideas, issues, or related topics come up. If you would like to refocus everyone’s attention to the main point of a discussion, you can circle back to it.
You can use this expression as a statement or a question. Here are some examples of how to use this phrase:
If you have a well-reasoned recommendation that will help someone improve their performance, you can give them constructive criticism. Constructive criticism usually includes positive and negative feedback and is shared in a friendly, supportive manner.
Constructive criticism is often focused on a particular behavior or quality. The goal is to help the person develop and advance.
Have you ever asked to add something to a project that's already finished? You might have heard, "I'm sorry, but that train has left the station." That means you can't change it now because it's been finalized.
Most of the time, this phrase is used in informal conversation.
Here are some examples:
A: She wants to change the date for the office party.
B: Are you kidding me? Everything's set for June 12! That train has left the station.
The words "draw" and "up" take on a new meaning when you put them together. The idiomatic phrase "draw up" is usually used to talk about plans or contracts. It means to prepare a written document with details of a plan or arrangement.
Draw up can be used in any tense. Here are some examples of how to use it:
When you go to the theater to see a show, you see the actors and the scenery, but you don't see all the people backstage who run the lights and sound, handle the props, or built the set (scenery). All of those people work behind the scenes, behind the scenery you can see on stage.
We use "behind the scenes" in a lot of different contexts, but it always means the same thing—something is done out of public view. Here are just a few examples of how you can use it:
When two people or organizations negotiate an agreement so that each one profits, they cut a deal. You each have to give up, or "cut", some of what you want so that you can both make some profit, even if it's not as much as you wanted.
Here are a couple of examples:
If you want to be the boss someday, you’ll have to climb the corporate ladder.
If your plan fails, then you need to go back to the drawing board and start again.
Being on the beach may sound relaxing, but it isn't always relaxing when used in a business context by a consultant.
In consulting, to be on the beach means that you're not actively involved in a project. It can mean that you've got a break after one project finishes, before the next one starts. But it can also mean that you are doing internal training or helping with simple tasks until you are assigned to a longer-term project.
When things go belly up, they fail or die. This is a common idiom used in business for when a company goes bankrupt. You can use it in other situations, too.
