To step on somebody's toes, to step in somebody's shoes,
to keep somebody on their toes. Today we'll learn three amazing popular business English idioms!
Hello, my dear friends and welcome to English Mania! My name is Antonia Romaker I'll enlarge
your active vocabulary! A couple of days ago I was watching Emily in Paris and I came across
two amazing idioms in one short dialogue! An employee says: I don't want to step on your toes!
And the employer answers: You are not. You're stepping into my shoes! You are ready, OK?
This is an opportunity for both of us. Can you guess the meaning now?
If you can write a comment and then watch the rest of the video.
To step on somebody's toes means to upset someone especially by getting involved in something that
is that person's responsibility. So you are trying to get involved in somebody's business,
you are trying to do somebody's job and you are not welcome! Then you step on that person's toes.
You can also say to tread on somebody's toes. It's a very competitive business, you can't afford to
step on too many toes. So you can't upset a lot of people around you by doing their job,
by intruding into their responsibilities. It's a very competitive business, you can't afford
to step on too many toes. So if you step on somebody's toes you intrude on their rights
and prerogatives, you interfere in their affairs, you are not welcome there. Basically, you invade
another person's space. You know the last thing I want to do is to step on anybody's toes.
So I don't want to intrude on anyone's rights, I don't want to do anybody else's job. You know
the last thing I want to do is to step on anybody's toes.
Just trying to help, I didn't mean to step on your toes. You can say something like that if
you were caught red-handed. An example from the TV show Grey's Anatomy. I spent all morning deferring
to you, trying not to step on your toes. For what? Because I wanted you to like me?
If we come back to our dialogue at the beginning of the lesson
Emily says: I don't want to step on your toes. She means to say that she doesn't want to intrude
on her boss's rights, her boss's prerogatives, do her job and get the credit.
To keep somebody on their toes means to cause someone to stay alert and ready for anything that
might happen. You cause somebody to stay alert ready. An example from the TV show Grey's Anatomy.
He says you are the best intern in the hospital, said you keep everyone on their toes,
even him. So you keep them all alert and ready, ready for action, ready for anything. Because they
all want to learn and be the best. I have two sons who always keep me on my toes. So they cause me
to stay alert, stay ready for anything they might do. I have two sons who always keep me on my toes.
I can't just relax and drink some cocktail, I'm always alert, they keep me on my toes.
To step into somebody's shoes or to fill somebody's shoes means to take someone's
place especially by doing the job they've just left. Usually, we talk about some responsibilities
of other people which you take on, you do their job which they have just left.
So you step into their shoes, you fill their shoes. It can be said about somebody's
job or about your household or parenting your children, things like that, different
kinds of responsibilities. Who do you think will step into Putin's shoes when he retires?
So who will fill his shoes, step into his shoes and do his job when he retires? Who do you think
will step into Putin's shoes when he retires? No one has ever been able to fill his shoes.
The person I'm talking about is so great at his job that no one can fill his shoes,
no one can do his job the way he used to. An example from the TV show Once upon a
time. And these spoiled little princes, well, they'll never fill his shoes. So princes will
never be able to fill their father's shoes, the king's shoes. Let's get back to the dialogue.
First Emily says: I don't want to step on your toes. But her boss says: You are not,
you are not stepping on my toes. You are stepping into my shoes. So you are doing my job
because I am going to leave. So you are in the process of stepping into my shoes.
I am going to leave and you will step into my shoes, you will do my job, you will take my place.
Another great example from the TV show Grey's Anatomy: Gray? Big shoes to fill. They are talking
about a doctor whose cases this woman is taking and Dr Grey is amazing, so big shoes to fill.
And the phrase to put yourself in somebody's shoes means to imagine how someone else feels
in a difficult situation. Try to put yourself in my shoes, I'm in hell.
Do you know any other interesting business English idioms? If you do share, write a comment. Also,
make sure to create your own examples which will speed up the process of learning new
phrases. If you liked this video, please, press the button and like it. It will mean
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And I hope to see you soon! Happy English and Russian practice! Bye!