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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: The expansion plan is on the back burner until sales improve. 
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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 can't worry about office gossip; I have bigger fish to fry. 
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to [get] down to brass tacks

to begin talking about basic or important facts of a situation

Ex: After a few polite introductions, the lawyer 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: After the launch failed, the team went back to basics and rebuilt the product around users' real needs. 
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second banana

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

Ex: He quit because he was tired of playing second banana to Mark. 
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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: I won't join the project if I'm only going to play second fiddle again. 
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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: we need to make sure everyone is safe. 
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(at the|) top of the (agenda|list)

in the position of utmost importance or high priority

Ex: Customer safety is at the top of the agenda after last week's accident. 
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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: After the accident, money was the last thing on her mind. 
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second best

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

Ex: I don't want to settle for second best just because the job is available. 
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to [fall|drop] by the wayside

to not have the same importance or urgency as something else

Ex: Once the budget cuts started, staff training quickly fell by the wayside. 
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to [set] great store by {sth}

to see something as extremely necessary or important

Ex: She sets great store by honesty, even when the truth is uncomfortable. 
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to [put] {sb/sth} first

to treat someone or something as more important than others

Ex: She always puts her family first. 
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front burner

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

Ex: After the data breach, cybersecurity moved to the front burner. 
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