Today we talk about a common idiom from sports : To raise the bar . To raise the bar means to set a high standard and to raise expectations . It can also mean to set higher goals . You can raise the bar for yourself or for others . But we often use this expression when someone's performance is much better than others . When you raise the bar , you increase the expectations of people who have settled into a way of doing things . For example , let's say a person is really good at playing a video game . If he joins a team game , his skill level will raise the bar . The other players will have to play better to come up to the new level of competition . When you use the expression , you can sometimes put a word before “bar .” This will describe the situation better . Most of us who had been working at home for many months , did not dress up . We looked presentable , but our clothes were not formal . So , he really raised the clothing bar for our weekly meetings . Here is another example . Let's say you are invited to go to a potluck party . At a potluck party , everyone is supposed to bring one thing to drink or eat . You make a very tasty cake with four layers and fancy decorations . The host might say , “Wow you really raised the potluck bar for the rest of the people at the party .” Word experts say people began using the idiom “raise the bar ” around the turn of the twentieth century . It comes from the sport of track and field , specifically the high jump and the pole vault events . Now let's hear these two friends use the expression together . How's the new job going ? I go into the office an hour early every day and stay late almost every night . Plus , I get all my work done days ahead of my deadlines . Aren't you worried that you might be raising the bar a bit too high ? If other people can't perform as well , that's good for me , right ? Well , you don't want to raise the bar SO high that one day YOU have trouble getting over it . You know , that's a really good point . I never thought of it like that . That's what friends are for . Maybe I'll ease up a little bit ... When it comes to teaching American English , we hope we raise the bar just a little bit higher for English learners .