By the book
Do something following the rules.
Up in the air
A plan or issue that is unresolved
Back to the drawing board.
An idea or proposal has been unsuccessful and a new one must be found.
In a nutshell
to summarise
Think outside the box.
Think creatively and use your imagination.
A long shot
An attempt or guess that has a low possibility of being accurate
Raise the bar
Raise the standards
show someone the ropes
teach or show someone how to do something
game plan
a strategy
get down to business
start working
stand one's ground
be firm when faced with opposition
take the bull by the horns
deal decisively over someone
have the upper hand
have an advantage over someone
word of mouth
spreading information through spoken language
ahead of the pack
be ore successful than other people trying to do the same
