English Idioms for "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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Influence & Involvement

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

Ex: With the urgent deadlines for the upcoming conference , our marketing campaign has been moved to the back burner .

to begin talking about basic or important facts of a situation

Ex: I 'm tired of all the hypotheticals and want to get down to brass tacks .

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 teacher is going back to basics and teaching the students the fundamentals of grammar.

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

Ex: The lead singer is the most famous member of the band , but the drummer is the second banana .

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

Ex: He 's the second fiddle in our band , but he 's a great musician .

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

Ex: She took a back seat while her friend handled the main conversation .

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

Ex: I 'm tired of all the distractions and want to get down to brass tacks and focus on first things first .

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

Ex: Having a pet is the last thing on my mind right now , I barely have time to take care of myself .

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

Ex: John aimed to win the competition , but he ended up in second place , settling for second best .

to not have the same importance or urgency as something else

Ex: In the competitive world of sports, some athletes rise to stardom, while others with potential drop by the wayside due to injuries or lack of opportunity.

to see something as extremely necessary or important

Ex: The company sets great store by customer satisfaction , striving to provide exceptional service and meet their needs .

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

Ex: The proposal is now on the front burner due to recent changes .