Learn English with English, baby!

Join for FREE!

Social_nav_masthead_logged_in
 

get down to business

Date: Oct 19 2000

Quote

1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.

“There’s a lot of joking and fooling around. But when you yell ‘Roll ‘em!’ everyone gets down to business.” – talking about making the movie Space Cowboys.

Definition

1. Definition - Study the definition.

get serious, begin working, focus on a specific task

2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.

If you have a lot to do, and not much time to do it, you better get down to business. It’s a great phrase to describe the time when you’re really focused on what you’re doing.

Examples

1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.

“You’ve been talking on the phone for a long time. I think it’s time you get down to business and finish your homework. I wasn’t getting anything done until I decided that I had to get down to business and really work hard.”

Winners

1. Winners - See who guessed the slang definition correctly.

I think it means to begin to deal with something serious, to start something new(business).
by Kate (Tel Aviv, Israel)
In Spanish slang it’s: “Vamos a la faena.” Get down to business means, to attend seriously, to concentrate, let the jokes off and go “straight to the thing,” to the business.
by Edu
“get down to business” means… to start doing something seriously…
by Aki (Pasadena, California, USA)
I think “get down to business” just means “get serious about,” or “start to work.”
by Kevin (Nanjing, Jiangsu, China)
I think it means to undertake what one should do immediately and directly.
by Margaret (Shenzhen, Guangdong, China)
I think the meaning of “get down to business” is to start work or talking seriously.
by Rafiq (Elmehalla Elkobra, Gharbia, Egypt)
I think that means when is needed to work or deal with something important then it is to be done right away.
by Sonia (Evora, Portugal)
I think the expression “to get down to business” means “to begin to do the main parts of an activity.” In other words, when we get down to business, we are engaged in substantial activities, rather than in just killing time. Thus, when “everyone gets down to business,” they start to do jobs concerned with making movies, not doing some kinds of fun activities.
by Eric (Chinhae, Kyungsangnamdo, South Korea)
I think get down to business means start working again, to stop fooling around.
by Sarah (Hong Kong, China)
I think the expression “get down to business” means “to start working, to begin doing something that is your job, duty, etc.” I’ve also met the expression “to get down to work” in the same meaning. I think it’s often used.
by Nataly (Chelyabinsk, Urals, Russia)

Want to guess next week's slang?

The iTEP® test

  • Schedule an iTEP® test and take the official English Practice Test.

    Take Now >

Likes (5):

See all >

Share this lesson:

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Bebo
  • Share on Myspace
  • Share on Twitter
  • Email this to a friend
  • Share on Sina

Post Ebaby! lessons on your blog:

Ebaby! Cast