Rather like French, some very cool German phrases – for which we don’t always have a great translation, hence the term idiomatic – have percolated into and enriched the English language.

Amongst my favourites are Zeitgeist – spirit of the age, and the mighty Weltanschauung – ‘world view’.

When it comes to business writing, something that can really hold your story together is the Leitmotif, the theme that moves through it. A guiding theme can keep your reader focused on what you’re writing about and help them imagine what you’re trying to convey. For example, you could use the Leitmotif of a journey and use lots of journey-related language – steps, destination, travel, milestones – as the vehicle, pun intended, for your story.

Pretty much any Leitmotif will do – a picture, harmony, the sky, planets, the list is endless – as long as it helps you tell your story and guides your reader to where you want to take them.