James Bond phrases and words in English

Sixty years of 007 one-liners that escaped the cinema — martini orders, deadpan corrections, villain greetings and stiff-upper-lip comebacks. Drop one in a Slack thread, a meeting or a bar and instantly sound like you should be sliding a passport across a marble counter.

22 phrases · meanings & example sentences

“Shaken, not stirred”

A maddeningly precise personal preference, stated with total conviction and no apology. Used for anyone impossibly particular about exactly how they want something — the temperature, the order, the method.

She sent the latte back twice — the foam wasn't dense enough. Shaken, not stirred.
He wants the dressing on the side, croutons in a separate bowl, chicken sliced thin. Shaken, not stirred.
Mum reheats the soup three times to hit exactly 68 degrees. Shaken, not stirred.

“I've been expecting you”

A mock-dramatic greeting for someone who finally turns up — almost always late — delivered slowly and without rising from your chair. Used to needle any friend, colleague or relative who keeps the room waiting.

Sorry, sorry — the train was a nightmare. — Ah. I've been expecting you.
She rolled into dinner forty minutes late with a bottle of wine. I've been expecting you.
He finally answered Tuesday's text on Sunday morning. I've been expecting you.

“Now pay attention”

A slightly impatient cue that what comes next actually matters — aimed at someone scrolling, interrupting or half-listening. Useful any time you're explaining something for the third time.

Wait, what's the plan again? — Now pay attention. 8pm, the Italian, not the Greek.
She put down the spatula and looked at the kids: now pay attention — the cake comes out at exactly 35 minutes.
Third time I've walked him through the review process. Now pay attention.

“Positively shocking”

An extravagantly understated reaction to mildly outrageous news — a price tag, a piece of gossip, a confession. 'Positively' amps up the adjective deadpan. The stiff-upper-lip response to anything scandalous.

He charged £1,400 for a haircut. — Positively shocking.
Apparently they've been together since the wedding in May. — Positively shocking.
The Airbnb cleaning fee was higher than the room itself. Positively shocking.

“For your eyes only”

A marker that something is strictly confidential and not to be forwarded — a screenshot, a salary figure, a photo, a secret. The standard way to flag anything meant for one person only.

Sending you the offer letter. For your eyes only.
She slid her phone across the table, screenshot already open. For your eyes only.
Photo from the after-party. For your eyes only — burn after reading.

“I never joke about my work”

A deadpan refusal to let someone laugh off the effort you've put in — said when your work, however small, is being underestimated. Useful when a colleague or partner treats something you took seriously as a joke.

You wrote a whole strategy doc for buying a sofa? — I never joke about my work.
She spent the weekend colour-coding the family holiday spreadsheet. Don't laugh — I never joke about my work.
He has a 12-step morning routine pinned to the fridge. I never joke about my work.

“You must be joking”

A flat, disbelieving reaction to something absurd, overpriced or wildly over-engineered for the problem at hand. Everyday English for 'surely this can't be real'.

We're moving to a new tool — basically Notion plus Linear plus Slack. — You must be joking.
The brunch place wanted £24 for toast with mashed avocado. You must be joking.
She suggested we drive nine hours instead of taking the one-hour flight. You must be joking.

“Take the bloody shot”

Stop hesitating and just act — when the cost of waiting is worse than the cost of getting it slightly wrong. 'Bloody' is the British intensifier carrying the urgency. A push for anyone frozen on a decision.

I've been sitting on this resignation email for three days. — Take the bloody shot.
She still hasn't asked him whether it's actually a date. Take the bloody shot.
Four people are viewing the flat tomorrow and you're still 'thinking'. Take the bloody shot.

“All the time in the world”

A declaration that you're in no hurry — used sincerely to reassure, or sarcastically when someone is taking absolutely forever. Depending on tone, it's either a comfort or a gentle dig.

Take your time choosing — we've got all the time in the world.
She's been deciding between two paint samples since March. Apparently we have all the time in the world.
He's reading the menu like it's a novel. All the time in the world, mate.

“Once is happenstance, twice coincidence”

The template for spotting a pattern: the first time is chance, the second time is suspicious. 'Happenstance' is a great word for pure coincidence — drop this the moment something happens for the second time.

Two of his exes have moved to the same town as him. Once is happenstance, twice coincidence.
Twice now my flatmate's 'forgotten' to pay me back the same week rent's due. Once is happenstance, twice coincidence.
Two big clients churned in the same week, both blaming pricing. Once is happenstance, twice coincidence.

“Licence to kill”

Unusually wide, no-questions-asked authority to do as you please — a free weekend, an open budget, full creative control. 'A licence to X' is a productive English pattern: licence to print money, licence to thrill, and so on.

Parents away for the weekend, fridge full — my little sister's got a licence to kill.
Marketing got a six-figure budget with zero approvals. Full licence to kill.
Open bar at the wedding, and my uncle's been handed a licence to kill.

“Nobody does it better”

A way to crown someone the undisputed best at one specific, often tiny, thing — sincerely or with full irony. Everyday praise for anyone with a signature move they pull off every single time.

She wrote the entire breakup text in twelve words and didn't blink. Nobody does it better.
Dad reverses the caravan into the same tight slot every summer, first go. Nobody does it better.
Three pans, one oven, dinner for nine on the table at 8pm sharp. Nobody does it better.

“The world is not enough”

Said of someone whose ambition or appetite is simply bottomless — in admiration, or in quiet concern. Shorthand for never being satisfied, no matter how much they already have.

She just bought a vineyard — she already owns the restaurant, the wine bar and the import business. The world is not enough.
Third start-up in five years and he's just raised again. The world is not enough.
Marathon in April, an ultra in July, now he's signed up for the ironman. The world is not enough.

“Never say never”

A reminder not to rule anything out permanently, because people and circumstances change — said to anyone insisting they'll 'never' do a thing. One of those idioms that tends to age well.

You said you'd never run a marathon, and there you are with a race number. Never say never.
I'm done with dating apps for good. — Sure. Never say never.
He swore he'd never move back to his hometown; he just signed a lease there. Never say never.

“Diamonds are forever”

A way to call something permanent and unbreakable — a friendship, a grudge, a debt, a habit that never goes away. Used for anything built to last, for better or worse.

We've fallen out twice and always come back. Real friendship — diamonds are forever.
He still owes me from 2019 and acts like it vanished. Sorry, mate, diamonds are forever.
Tattoo your ex's name and you'll learn the hard way: diamonds are forever.

“You only live twice”

A nudge to treat a rare second chance like the gift it is — a do-over at work, an unlikely reconciliation, a comeback nobody saw coming. A play on 'you only live once', used when life hands someone an encore.

They rehired her after the layoffs — clean slate, fresh start. You only live twice.
The deal collapsed and somehow came back to life this morning. You only live twice.
He walked away from that crash without a scratch. Mate, you only live twice — go call your mum.

“Live to fight another day”

Back down or cut your losses now so you're still standing for the battle that actually matters. A classic English idiom for a smart retreat instead of a pointless last stand.

I bit my tongue instead of blowing up at the boss. Live to fight another day.
We pulled the bid rather than overpay in a bidding war. Walk away, live to fight another day.
She let the small argument go to save the bigger relationship. Sometimes you live to fight another day.

“Trust no one”

A warning to stay guarded and verify things yourself — used when you sense something's off, or after someone's been burned by misplaced faith. Sounds paranoid, but it's a practical stance in competitive environments.

Half the team was feeding info to the rival agency. Trust no one.
She tells different people different versions to find out who's leaking. Trust no one.
The Airbnb listing said 'quiet neighbourhood'. Trust no one.

“On a need-to-know basis”

Information shared only with those who actually need it — no one else gets access, no matter how curious they are. Used to justify keeping something compartmentalized, whether at work, at home, or in a group chat.

The merger isn't public yet — keep it on a need-to-know basis.
Mum doesn't know about the surprise party. Strictly need-to-know.
He manages his whole friendship group on a need-to-know basis — no one knows what the others know.

“double-cross”

To secretly betray someone who trusts you — acting loyal while working against them. Both a noun ('a double-cross') and a verb ('to double-cross someone'). Used any time an ally turns out to be the enemy.

He gave our proposal to the other agency before we could pitch. Classic double-cross.
She told the landlord we were planning to leave before we'd signed anywhere else. Complete double-cross.
Our supplier started selling direct to our biggest customers. We got double-crossed.

“on borrowed time”

Still going beyond the point when something should have ended — a job on its way out, a relationship running out of road, a device long overdue for replacement. Anything surviving past its natural expiry.

He's been 'acting manager' for eight months with no promotion in sight. He's on borrowed time.
The boiler makes that noise again. We're on borrowed time.
They haven't updated the app in eighteen months and users are leaving. On borrowed time.

“calculated risk”

A risk you've thought through and decided is worth taking — not reckless, but deliberate. You know the downside exists; you've weighed it against the potential upside and chosen to go anyway.

Leaving a stable job to start your own company is always a calculated risk.
We launched before the full feature set was ready. Calculated risk — and it paid off.
Dating someone on the same team is a calculated risk most people eventually regret.