home
Menu
Create
Random
0
0
0
thumbnail

Business Cliches

Fill the blanks in these cliches you might have heard at an all-hands meeting.
Quiz by
Quizmaster
Featured Quiz
Rate:
Last updated: September 4, 2018
You have not attempted this quiz yet.
More quiz info >>
First submittedMarch 27, 2010
Times taken39,929
Average score59.1%
Rating3.76
Quiz and answer stats >>
Friends stats >>
4:00
Enter missing words here:
0
 / 22 guessed
The quiz is paused. You have remaining.
Scoring
You scored / = %
This beats or equals % of test takers also scored 100%
The average score is
Your high score is
Your fastest time is
Keep scrolling down for answers and more stats ...
Cliche
Low-hanging fruit
Think outside the box
Eat the elephant one bite at a time
The ball is in your court
Take it with a grain of salt
First mover advantage
Open kimono
Hit the ground running
Cliche
Go the extra mile
Work smarter, not harder
At the end of the day
On the same page
Can't see the forest for the trees
Beat a dead horse
There is no "I" in team
Cliche
Push the envelope
Comparing apples to oranges
Touch base
Bleeding-edge technology
Put lipstick on a pig
Stick to your core competency
That dog will hunt
Save Your Stats
Your Next Quiz
Don't Clichés
Don't count your chickens before they _____? According to cliché, there are some things one just shouldn't do. Fill in the blanks.
English Idioms #1
Once in a blue ____?
Clothing Idioms
The missing words in these idioms are things that you wear.
True or False - Sudden Death
Select every statement which is true but don't select any false ones or you die instantly.
36 Comments
Quizmaster
+1
Level ∞
Mar 6, 2013
Updated and expanded!
KatM
+1
Level 22
Mar 19, 2013
Obviously by the fail score of 2, I lack experiencing any of these cliches from businesses.
tschutzer
+9
Level 93
Mar 19, 2013
"On the same wavelength" is just as common, I think.
Shiloh376
+12
Level 76
Mar 19, 2013
These are not really "business" clichés. Most of these are said by most people in all walks of life. Also, I have never heard "bleeding-edge". Don't you mean "cutting edge"?
Berney
+2
Level 84
Mar 22, 2013
I've heard both.
Shikari
+3
Level 32
Sep 1, 2014
Surely "leading edge technology" if not "cutting edge technology".
BobIsACoprophage
+4
Level 60
Apr 23, 2020
I agree that these aren't business-specific.

"Bleeding edge" is a real term derived from "cutting edge" or "leading edge". It refers to the idea that it can be a disadvantage to be an early adopter of a new technology, since it hasn't been properly tested yet. This means that the technology might be dangerous and accidentally harm its users, hence the "bleeding". Here's a Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleeding_edge_technology

InterAlia
+1
Level 83
Jan 25, 2026
Agree that a lot of these don't qualify as corporate-speak. They're just everyday cliches. Probably some have migrated out of the corporate world.
skilletbrew
+2
Level 30
Apr 24, 2013
Shouldn't it be "Can't see the forest through the trees"? Not "for the trees".
TheWombat
+11
Level 72
Oct 10, 2013
The trees and the forest are the same thing, the forest is not beyond the trees, it is the trees. The phrase means that one is missing the bigger picture (the forest) by concentrating too much on the details (the trees).
Symmetrik
+1
Level 56
Apr 3, 2014
Technically if you are at the edge of a forest, there are some trees, then the rest of the forest will stretch beyond those trees. I've always heard it as "through the trees". You can't see the bigger picture (the forest), because you can't past/around/through the small things (trees).
bunwalla
+3
Level 70
Jan 3, 2023
Literally, the expression is "can't see the forest for the trees." It doesn't matter what you think makes better sense, that's the expression. The fact that you're arguing which word works better actually proves the point of the saying though.
joeythelemur
+7
Level 80
Jun 19, 2014
Open Kimono? Never heard that before.
LarryLovage
+1
Level 55
Aug 20, 2014
Also, what the hell does it mean?
babbaloo7
+7
Level 49
Aug 20, 2014
I laughed out loud in a meeting the first time I heard this. Apparently it's fairly common. It just means (to use another cliche), lay all your cards on the table and share everything openly and freely with one another. You know.. like opening your kimono when you have nothing on underneath!
Yanni47
+1
Level 80
Apr 23, 2020
Must be an Asian expression.
Algernon
+2
Level 74
Aug 13, 2017
First time I've heard it too
ander217
+1
Level 73
Jul 10, 2014
I was walking the wrong road for base. I tried data, customer, first, but no touch. I also never heard bleeding-edge technology, only cutting. Would you accept cutting?
scott4real
+1
Level 69
Jan 12, 2018
How do you accept cutting edge, when they give you the word bleeding??? Also, although similar, bleeding edge is more cutting edge than cutting edge. There, crystal clear right?!?!
ChipOtley
+3
Level 72
Jan 12, 2015
Apples & pears is common too
SadDuck
+4
Level 69
Jul 29, 2016
At least in Texas, the phrase is "that dog DON'T hunt"
divantilya
+1
Level 36
Feb 2, 2019
^ Here, here! Hurrah for Texas!
samiamco
+3
Level 67
Sep 6, 2016
For "base" I was thinking nouns: knowledge, customer, client, and user.
kogatora
+3
Level 96
Dec 9, 2017
why would anyone eat an elephant?
DonTheLamplighter
+4
Level 87
Mar 12, 2021
Because kangaroos are much harder to catch. I can't believe I have to explain this.
InterAlia
+1
Level 83
Jan 25, 2026
The classic line is, "How do you eat an elephant?"

Answer: "One bite at a time."

Could just be a silly kids' joke. Also works as a metaphor for working on a major project.

Fresco3
+2
Level 70
Apr 6, 2018
On the same wavelength??
Margles1
+2
Level 40
Apr 13, 2019
What does “That dog will hunt” mean?
sumokitty
+2
Level 90
Oct 2, 2025
That it's a workable idea. Though I've only heard it as "won't hunt" for a bad idea/plan.
kalbahamut
+2
Level 79
Oct 27, 2019
I've never had elephant but I did have whale bacon once. Wouldn't recommend it.
Jared0309
+2
Level 80
Oct 27, 2019
Maybe broaden it to "put makeup on a pig" because I've definitely heard both; or, at least accept makeup as an option, since they do have the same effect.
BobIsACoprophage
+1
Level 60
Apr 23, 2020
Please accept "early" for "first mover advantage".
DonTheLamplighter
+3
Level 87
Mar 12, 2021
I've been in business for more than 40 years and have never heard of "open kimono" or "bleeding-edge technology". I should probably move my lemonade stand to a higher-traffic location.
bestanford
+2
Level 73
Dec 17, 2021
For "base," could you make the prompt "Let's _____ base"? Right now it feels like it's looking for a noun phrase. I tried "knowledge base."
Alexquiz17
+1
Level 95
Jan 27, 2024
These kind of cliches are favoured by the worst sort of humans on Earth.

If anyone ever says to you “there’s no I in team” be sure to reply “yes, but there is a U in c*nt

sumokitty
+1
Level 90
Oct 2, 2025
I got all of these pretty easily, which I don't think speaks well of the companies I've worked for!
Similar Quizzes by Tag
Copyright H Brothers Inc, 2008–2026
Contact Us | Go To Top | View Mobile Site | Site Map