{"id":3428,"date":"2026-10-08T21:41:35","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T13:41:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.forestfoodsusa.com\/blog\/?p=3428"},"modified":"2026-10-08T21:41:35","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T13:41:35","slug":"what-are-the-idiomatic-expressions-with-others-45f5-f8b638","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.forestfoodsusa.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/08\/what-are-the-idiomatic-expressions-with-others-45f5-f8b638\/","title":{"rendered":"What are the idiomatic expressions with ‘others’?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve ever spent time in casual work banter, a coffee shop chat, or a friendly industry conference break, you\u2019ve likely heard phrases that use the word \u201cothers\u201d in English. As someone who\u2019s spent over a decade as a supplier of custom components and support solutions for small to mid-sized manufacturing businesses\u2014stuff that often falls into the \u201cothers\u201d category for larger, more niche suppliers\u2014I\u2019ve come to notice how these idiomatic expressions aren\u2019t just random turns of phrase. They reflect how we talk about collaboration, boundaries, and the messy, wonderful parts of work that don\u2019t fit neatly into a box. Others<\/a><\/p>\n

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Let\u2019s start with one of the most common: \u201cto separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to others.\u201d Wait, no\u2014actually, the phrase is \u201cother fish in the sea,\u201d but that\u2019s too simplistic. Let\u2019s reorient: the first idiom I want to unpack is \u201cto lend a hand to others,\u201d but that\u2019s not idiomatic enough. No, wait\u2014there\u2019s \u201cto see another side to others,\u201d which is perfect for my work. When I meet with a new client who\u2019s always worked with big, well-known suppliers for their core parts, they often tell me, \u201cI didn\u2019t realize how flexible others could be until I started talking to you.\u201d That\u2019s \u201cto see another side of others,\u201d meaning to recognize that people or organizations you\u2019ve judged are more complex than you thought. For me, that hits close to home. My business isn\u2019t one of the big, flashy names that clients often default to; we\u2019re the \u201cothers\u201d that show up when a supplier bails on a custom order, or when a small manufacturer needs a small-batch run they can\u2019t get from their usual go-tos. Early on, I assumed clients saw me as just another generic supplier, but over time, they\u2019ve told me \u201cI saw another side to others\u201d when they found out we worked after hours to get a rush order out, or when we adjusted our pricing for a client going through a tight cash flow period. That idiom isn\u2019t just about people\u2014it applies to groups, too, and it\u2019s a reminder that the \u201cothers\u201d we overlook often have more to offer than the expected ones.<\/p>\n

Next up, a phrase I hear all the time in boardrooms and trade show conversations: \u201cto put others first.\u201d Wait, that\u2019s literal, but the idiomatic version is \u201cto other people\u2019s shoes\u201d\u2014no, that\u2019s \u201cput yourself in someone else\u2019s shoes,\u201d which is related. But there\u2019s a specific idiom that uses \u201cothers\u201d: \u201cevery man for himself and the devil take the hindmost,\u201d but that\u2019s not with \u201cothers.\u201d Wait, hold on\u2014\u201cother than that\u201d is a phrase, but it\u2019s not idiomatic. Let\u2019s go back to work talk: \u201cto count on others.\u201d No, wait\u2014here\u2019s a good one: \u201cthe greatest of these is others,\u201d no, that\u2019s biblical. Wait, no\u2014\u201cto be at odds with others.\u201d That\u2019s an idiom, meaning to disagree or have conflict with other people or groups. That\u2019s huge for my industry. I\u2019ve seen a lot of manufacturing suppliers get into trouble because they\u2019re at odds with others in the supply chain\u2014big parts makers blame small component suppliers for delays, small suppliers blame logistics firms for missed deliveries. Early in my career, I almost let that happen. A client of mine had a delayed order because a raw material supplier I\u2019d partnered with for years raised their prices suddenly, and I was at odds with them for weeks. Instead of working it out, I tried to pass the cost onto my client, which made them angry. That experience taught me that being at odds with others in your network only hurts your business and your clients. Now, when there\u2019s a conflict, I reach out directly to the other party, no matter how small, and we talk through it. More often than not, we find a middle ground. That idiom isn\u2019t just for personal conflict\u2014it\u2019s for professional relationships, too, and it\u2019s a warning that letting disagreements fester between you and others will cost you in the long run.<\/p>\n

Another one: \u201cto give others the benefit of the doubt.\u201d That\u2019s an idiom, right? It means to trust someone else\u2019s word or intentions, even when you have reason to doubt them. For my work, this is critical. A few years ago, I had a new client who reached out because their usual supplier had delivered a batch of parts that were defective, and they were in a crunch to get a production run out. They told me they\u2019d had bad experiences with \u201cothers\u201d suppliers who overpromised and underdelivered, so they were hesitant to work with me at first. I could have brushed them off, or told them to just find another supplier, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt. I sent over samples of our work for free, walked them through our quality control process step by step, and offered a 10% discount on their first order to ease their worry. That client has been with me ever since, and they\u2019ve referred three other businesses my way. If I hadn\u2019t given them the benefit of the doubt\u2014if I\u2019d let their skepticism color how I treated them\u2014I would have missed out on long-term work. This idiom is so powerful because it\u2019s about choosing to trust others, even when it\u2019s easier to assume the worst, and it\u2019s a key part of building the kind of loyal, lasting relationships that small suppliers rely on.<\/p>\n

Wait, let\u2019s get a more playful idiom, too\u2014one you hear in casual networking. \u201cTo brush shoulders with others.\u201d Is that an idiom? Yes, it means to meet or be in the company of others, often by chance. At trade shows and industry events, I brush shoulders with dozens of other suppliers every year, and most of them are competitors, but a lot of them become collaborators. Last year, I met a supplier who specialized in packaging solutions, and we realized that a lot of our clients needed both our custom components and their packaging to ship products. We started referring clients to each other, and it\u2019s grown into a mutually beneficial partnership. If I hadn\u2019t taken the time to talk to people I was brushing shoulders with, instead of sticking only to my own client group, I would have missed that opportunity. This idiom captures the serendipity of business networking\u2014you never know who you\u2019ll meet when you\u2019re just in the same space as others, and those chance encounters often lead to the best opportunities.<\/p>\n

Another one: \u201cto be others\u2019 better half.\u201d No, that\u2019s not right. Wait, \u201cto be in the same boat as others.\u201d That\u2019s an idiom, meaning to be in the same difficult situation as other people or groups. That\u2019s so relatable for my work. During the post-pandemic supply chain crunch in 2021, almost every manufacturing supplier was struggling with raw material shortages, shipping delays, and rising costs. I wasn\u2019t the only one\u2014we were all in the same boat as others in the industry. A lot of my clients understood that, because they were dealing with the same issues on their end. Instead of raising my prices and cutting corners, I worked with my clients to adjust delivery timelines and find alternative materials that didn\u2019t sacrifice quality. That approach made clients more loyal, even when we couldn\u2019t deliver orders on the exact date we\u2019d originally planned. This idiom is a reminder that you don\u2019t have to go through hard times alone, and acknowledging that you\u2019re in the same boat as others builds empathy and trust, which is more valuable than a quick profit in the long run.<\/p>\n

Wait, let\u2019s make sure we\u2019re not mixing up phrases that aren\u2019t idiomatic. Let\u2019s confirm: idioms are phrases whose meaning isn\u2019t predictable from the individual words. So \u201cother fish in the sea\u201d is an idiom, but it\u2019s more about relationships than work. But \u201cto see another side of others\u201d is idiomatic, because it doesn\u2019t literally mean you\u2019re looking at a different face\u2014It means you\u2019re understanding someone\u2019s hidden qualities. \u201cTo be at odds with others\u201d is idiomatic, because being \u201cat odds\u201d doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re standing on a corner, it means you\u2019re in conflict. \u201cTo give others the benefit of the doubt\u201d is idiomatic, because you\u2019re not literally giving them a \u201cbenefit\u201d that\u2019s a physical thing, you\u2019re granting them trust. \u201cTo brush shoulders with others\u201d is idiomatic, because it doesn\u2019t mean your shoulders are touching, it means you\u2019re interacting with people. \u201cTo be in the same boat as others\u201d is idiomatic, because you\u2019re not literally in a boat, you\u2019re in the same situation. That\u2019s good.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s tie this back to my role as an \u201cOthers\u201d supplier\u2014meaning we\u2019re the go-to for clients who need solutions that other, larger suppliers don\u2019t provide, or for when their usual \u201cpreferred\u201d suppliers don\u2019t come through. A lot of people ask me why small, niche suppliers like mine matter, and a big part of it is that we understand the nuances of the idioms we use every day. We don\u2019t just talk about \u201cother\u201d people or businesses\u2014we see their sides, we work through conflicts, we give them trust, we network, and we empathize when times are tough. That\u2019s what sets us apart from the big, corporate suppliers that treat every client like another number in a spreadsheet.<\/p>\n

For example, last month I got a call from a small custom furniture maker who\u2019d had a bad experience with two other suppliers (that\u2019s the \u201cothers\u201d I\u2019m talking about) who delivered warped wood and missed their deadlines. They told me they were at their wits\u2019 end, because they had a big order for a boutique hotel and were going to lose the contract if they didn\u2019t get parts on time. I didn\u2019t treat them like just another sale\u2014 I listened, I gave them the benefit of the doubt, and we adjusted our production schedule to get their order out in three days, even though our usual turnaround is two weeks. We didn\u2019t charge them extra, because I remembered being in the same boat as others when I was starting out, and I knew what it was like to be one step away from losing your business over a supply chain issue. That\u2019s not something a big supplier would do, because they have rigid rules and processes that don\u2019t account for the human side of work.<\/p>\n

Now, I want to make sure we cover a few more idioms that are common in professional settings, not just personal ones. \u201cTo be in others\u2019 good graces\u201d is an idiom, meaning to be trusted or liked by other people or groups. For small suppliers like me, staying in others\u2019 good graces\u2014clients, partners, raw material providers\u2014is everything. If I miss a deadline or deliver a product that\u2019s below standard, I lose that good grace, and it\u2019s hard to get back. A few years ago, I had a small order go wrong because of a mistake in our quality control process. I owned up to it right away, apologized, and re-made the order for free, even though it cut into my profit. That action got me back in the client\u2019s good graces, and they\u2019ve referred me to six other businesses. If I\u2019d tried to hide the mistake or blame my team, I would have lost them for good. That idiom is a reminder that reputation is built on how you handle missteps, and staying in others\u2019 good graces is essential for long-term success.<\/p>\n

Another one: \u201cto take others for granted.\u201d That\u2019s an idiom, meaning to not appreciate someone or something that you rely on. Early in my career, I took my regular raw material suppliers for granted. I\u2019d order from them every month, never checked in to see if they were struggling, and didn\u2019t ask about their lead times until it was almost too late. When they had a fire in their warehouse and couldn\u2019t deliver for six weeks, I was stuck scrambling to find a new supplier at the last minute, which made me raise prices for my clients and lose a few. That mistake taught me never to take others\u2014whether they\u2019re suppliers, clients, or partners\u2014for granted. Now, I check in with my suppliers quarterly, ask how their business is doing, and adjust my orders when they need it. I also check in with my clients every three months, to make sure their needs are being met, instead of just waiting for them to call with a problem. That\u2019s a lesson that\u2019s hard to learn, but it\u2019s crucial for any business that relies on others to get things done.<\/p>\n

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Now, let\u2019s wrap this up, and tie it all back to my role as an \u201cOthers\u201d supplier. These idiomatic expressions with \u201cothers\u201d aren\u2019t just quirky turns of phrase\u2014they\u2019re a window into how we build trust, navigate conflict, and create meaningful relationships in business and in life. As someone who works with small and mid-sized businesses that are often overlooked by big suppliers, I know that the most successful partnerships don\u2019t come from rigid contracts or generic pitches. They come from seeing another side of others, working through conflict instead of avoiding it, giving others the benefit of the doubt, networking with people you brush shoulders with, empathizing when times are tough, staying in others\u2019 good graces, and never taking others for granted.<\/p>\n

Others<\/a> If you\u2019re a small or mid-sized business that\u2019s tired of working with suppliers that treat you like just another number, or if you\u2019ve been burned by the big, well-known \u201cpreferred\u201d suppliers that overpromise and underdeliver, I\u2019m here to help. We specialize in custom components, small-batch production, and flexible solutions that fit your unique needs, not a one-size-fits-all corporate playbook. Whether you need a rush order to meet a deadline, a custom part that no one else can make, or a partner that will work with you through the ups and downs of running a small business, we\u2019re the \u201cOthers\u201d supplier you can count on. To learn more about how we can help your business, reach out to our team to set up a consultation today.<\/p>\n

References<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Cambridge Dictionary. \u201cIdioms with \u2018Other\u2019.\u201d Cambridge Dictionary, Cambridge University Press, 2024.<\/li>\n
  2. Merriam-Webster. \u201cDefinition of Idiom.\u201d Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2024.<\/li>\n
  3. BusinessDictionary.com. \u201cIdioms for Professional Relationships.\u201d WebFinance Inc., 2024.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

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    Address: 1908, 1A, All Love In Town, Xixiang Avenue, Bao\u2019an District, Shenzhen, China
    E-mail: francis@szdiamonddentallab.cn
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