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Influence & Involvement - Priority

Discover how English idioms like "on the back burner" and "get down to brass tacks" relate to priority in English.

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English idioms related to Influence & Involvement
back burner

a state of low priority where something is set aside to be dealt with later

Ex: Due to the budget constraints, we had to put the new office expansion project on the back burner. 
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to [have] (bigger|better|other) fish to (fry|catch)

to have more interesting or important matters to deal with

Ex: I don't have time for your trivial complaints; I have bigger fish to fry at work. 
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to [get] down to brass tacks

to begin talking about basic or important facts of a situation

Ex: The situation was so serious that after a few polite exchanges they quickly got down to brass tacks. 
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back to (the|) basics

used when one has to focus on the simplest and most important facts of a situation, particularly those that one was ignoring, in order to get the intended result

Ex: The company is going back to basics and focusing on its core products and services. 
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second banana

an individual who is not as important or influential as someone else in an organization

Ex: The CEO is the boss, but the CFO is the second banana. 
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second fiddle

a person who does not receive as much attention or is not as influential as someone else in a group or organization

Ex: The CEO is the big kahuna, and everyone else is just the second fiddle. 
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to [take] a back seat

to accept a less important, less visible, or secondary role compared to someone else

Ex: After years of leading the team, she decided to take a back seat. 
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first things first

used to state that there are more important things that one must do or consider before trying to deal with other things

Ex: First things first, let's get the fire under control before we worry about anything else. 
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(at the|) top of the (agenda|list)

in the position of utmost importance or high priority

Ex: I like all of his books, but this one is at the top of the list. 
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the last thing on {one's} mind

something that is not being thought about or considered, often due to more pressing or immediate concerns

Ex: Right now work is the last thing on my mind. 
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second best

an alternative that is not as fulfilling or desirable as other options that one has

Ex: I wanted to buy the latest smartphone, but due to budget constraints, I settled for a second-best model. 
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to [fall|drop] by the wayside

to not have the same importance or urgency as something else

Ex: Many aspiring musicians start their careers with great enthusiasm, but few succeed; most talented individuals unfortunately fall by the wayside. 
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to [set] great store by {sth}

to see something as extremely necessary or important

Ex: A retail group which sets great store by traditional values. 
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front burner

a state of high priority where something is dealt with immediately or given the most attention

Ex: The new project is now on the front burner after the meeting. 
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