08-Oct-2025

Greetings from Fluent & Fearless,

Success isn’t just about meeting expectations, it’s about going beyond them. This week we’ll explore how to use the phrase “raise the bar” in English, and why it’s a powerful signal of excellence in any workplace.

ESL Word/Phrase of the Week

English Phrase: “Raise the bar.”

Meaning: To set higher standards or expectations, usually to improve quality or performance.

Example Sentences:

• “The new policy raises the bar for customer service.”

• “She really raised the bar with her presentation.”

Quick Tip: Imagine a high jump: every time you improve, the bar gets raised a little higher.

• “La nueva política sube el listón del servicio al cliente”.

• “Ella subió el listón con su presentación”.

Highlighted Language Mistake of the Week

Common mistake: Using “lift the bar” instead of “raise the bar.”

• ❌ Incorrect: “She lifted the bar for the whole team.”

• ✅ Correct: “She raised the bar for the whole team.”

Why? “Raise the bar” is a fixed idiom. If you swap in words like lift, increase, or put up, it breaks the natural English flow. Native speakers will understand you, but it will sound awkward or unnatural.

Examples:

• ✅ “The new design team raised the bar higher than before.”

• ❌ “The new design team put the bar up higher than before.”

Memory Trick: Whenever you hear bar, think of standards. And in English, standards aren’t lifted or put up—they’re always raised.

Punctuation Tip of the Week

Spotlight: Braces { }

What Are They? Braces (also called “curly brackets”) are rarely used in everyday writing, but they appear in math, programming, and sometimes in specialized documents to group related items.

Examples:

• Math: {x, y, z} represent the variables.

• Programming: if (condition) { action }

Quick Tip: Unless you work in technical fields like coding, math, or law, you’ll almost never use braces. Stick to parentheses ( ) or brackets [ ] for general writing.

Nota en español: En inglés, los braces { } se usan principalmente en matemáticas o informática, y casi nunca en la escritura común. En español, se llaman “llaves” y tampoco son frecuentes en textos cotidianos.

Featured Story of the Week

Why Raising the Bar Inspires Everyone to Do Better

Standards shape how teams grow. When we “raise the bar,” we’re not just asking for improvement—we’re sending a message that quality matters and that excellence is worth striving for. A standard is more than a benchmark; it’s a symbol of what the team believes is possible.

I once worked for a bilingual sales director in Miami who had a reputation for always challenging his team. Every quarter, he set higher targets. At first, employees felt overwhelmed. “Why do the goals keep going up?” someone asked. Instead of pointing only to numbers, he re-framed the challenge: “We’re not just selling products—we’re raising the bar on service, relationships, and reputation.”

That change of perspective transformed the team. Rather than obsessing over quotas, they began focusing on deeper client trust, consistent follow-ups, and sharper presentations. Sales grew naturally, and morale rose with them. Soon, “raise the bar” became their shared motto. They used it in English with international partners, and in Spanish as “subir el listón” with Latin American clients.

The idea was universal: growth through higher standards.

What made this approach so powerful was not perfection—it was the culture of continuous progress. In meetings, the phrase carried energy: saying “Let’s raise the bar on how we handle feedback” or “We can raise the bar on response times” invited participation without blame. People felt challenged but also motivated, because raising the bar was framed as collective improvement, not individual failure.

For semi-bilingual professionals, this phrase is more than vocabulary. It’s a leadership tool, one that allows you to suggest progress in a way that feels confident and constructive. And culturally, it’s versatile: in the U.S., it resonates with efficiency and competition, while in Spanish-speaking contexts, it fits into conversations about teamwork, responsibility, and “orgullo profesional” (professional pride).

Using “raise the bar” also removes pressure from language learners. You don’t have to explain every step in perfect detail—you just need to point the direction upward. The phrase signals clarity: “Here’s where we’re going, and here’s how we’ll improve.”

In today’s global workplace, the ability to raise the bar isn’t optional. It’s the spark that drives innovation, the encouragement that motivates teams, and the reminder that yesterday’s best can be today’s starting point.

So the next time you want to inspire, don’t just accept the standard—raise it.

Cultural Corner – Idiom/Slang of the Week

Idiom: “Step up your game.”

Meaning: To improve your performance or effort, especially when competition increases.

Example:

• “After the feedback, she knew she had to step up her game.”

Spanish Equivalent: “Ponerse las pilas”.

Significado: Empezar a actuar con más energía, esfuerzo o dedicación.

Ejemplo:

• “Después de la reunión, ella decidió ponerse las pilas y mejorar su trabajo”.

Cultural Note: Both idioms encourage action. English emphasizes competition and performance, while Spanish emphasizes energy and urgency. Both push you to do more than the minimum.

Reader Poll / Puzzle / Comment

Riddle of the Week:
I’m lifted higher, but I’m not a drink.
I measure success, not what you think.
I challenge the best, but I’m never far.
What am I?

(Hint: You’ll find me in sports, in school, and in business meetings.)

Answer: The bar! (As in raise the bar—the standard you set for improvement).

In any culture or workplace, to “raise the bar” means more than higher standards—it’s about inspiring growth, showing leadership, and proving that excellence is always within reach.