have bigger fish to fry
Meaning: To have more important things to deal with.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “The mayor won't waste time on the parking dispute; she has bigger fish to fry.”
Category: Food & Drink
Origin: Older as "other fish to fry": John Evelyn's Memoirs (1660) has "I fear he has other fish to fry." When "other" became "bigger" is not known, but the cook in either version has more pressing business than the fish in front of him.
Equivalents in other languages
- French: Avoir d'autres chats à fouetter — literally: To have other cats to whip
More idioms — Food & Drink
- have one's cake and eat it too — To want two things that cannot both be had.
- eat one's words — To admit that something one said was wrong.
- one's eyes are bigger than one's stomach — To take more food than one can eat; more broadly, to want more than one can handle.
- have a lot on one's plate — To have many tasks or problems to deal with.
- eat humble pie — To admit one was wrong and apologize humbly.
- a banana republic — A small, politically unstable country dominated by a corrupt elite or foreign business.
More English idioms
- tell tall tales — To tell exaggerated or untrue stories.
- navel-gaze — To be absorbed in oneself and one's own concerns to an excessive degree.
- that ship has sailed — It is too late; the opportunity has passed.
- be a pain in the neck — To be very annoying.
- muddy the waters — To make a situation confusing, often on purpose.
- be bone idle — To be extremely lazy.
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