The English Breakfast ☕
Hi there,
Welcome back to The English Breakfast — the newsletter for Italian professionals who want to feel more confident in English at work.
Since Friday was a public holiday here in Italy, I’m writing to you from the sunny Orobie mountains. I’m enjoying some much-needed R&R (rest and relaxation)—and, of course, a generous serving of casoncelli!
I hope you’re having a great weekend too. Whatever you're up to, it’s about to get even better: it’s time for your weekly dose of Business English tips.
We’re kicking things off with 5 essential phrasal verbs for those moments when things don’t go exactly to plan at work. Take the quiz below to see how many you know!
🛠️ Handling the "Whoops": A Professional Glossary
Nobody’s perfect! But, whether it’s a small slip up or a major mix-up, knowing how to handle the tough conversation that follows a mistake can make all the difference.
So here’s a handy guide to the most common phrases for spotting mistakes and owning them—Italian translations included. And of course, feel free to correct my Italian if I’ve messed up 😅
Section 1: Highlighting Mistakes (The "Pardon Me" List)
How to point out a slip-up without sounding like a villain.
English Phrase | Italian Translation | Context/Usage |
"I think there’s been a slight oversight." | Credo ci sia stata una piccola svista. | Use this when something was forgotten (like an email attachment). |
"Something’s not quite adding up here." | Qualcosa non torna del tutto. | Perfect for spotting a discrepancy in a budget or a spreadsheet. |
"I’m afraid there’s a bit of a mix-up." | Temo ci sia un po' di confusione. | Great for scheduling conflicts or wrong deliveries. |
"We seem to have our wires crossed." | Sembra che ci siamo intesi male. | Use this when two people understood different things due to bad communication. |
"Just a heads-up, this needs a quick fix." | Solo un avviso, questo richiede una rapida correzione. | Informal and proactive; suggests the mistake is easy to handle. |
Section 2: Apologising & Moving On (The "My Bad" List)
How to own it, fix it, and keep your professional cool.
English Phrase | Italian Translation | Context/Usage |
"That’s my bad! I’ll get right on it." | Colpa mia! Me ne occupo subito. | An informal, American sounding phrase. Shows accountability. |
"That’s my fault! I’ll sort it out immediately." | Colpa mia! Me ne occupo subito. | The British English version of the previous example. |
"Please bear with me while I sort this out." | Porti pazienza mentre risolvo la cosa. | Use this to buy time while you fix a mistake. |
"Thanks for flagging that; I’ll tweak it now." | Grazie per averlo segnalato; lo sistemo ora. | "Flagging" is a great B2-level business verb for "noticing/highlighting." |
"Let’s pivot and find a workaround." | Cambiamo rotta e troviamo una soluzione alternativa. | Focuses on the solution rather than dwelling on the "slip up." |
Over to you! 📧
Which of these will you be keeping in your "professional toolkit" for next week?
Reply to this email with your top 3 phrases from today’s glossary and quiz that would be most useful in your specific job. I’d love to hear which ones made the cut!
All right, that’s it for this week’s edition, I’ve got some hiking to do.
Have a great week and I’ll see you next time!
All the best,
Dan
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