I have other fish to fry.
Meaning: Pursuing multiple important goals simultaneously means you lack time for additional commitments.
Origin: In use by the 17th century; the diarist John Evelyn wrote in 1660 of having other fish to fry. A cook with better fish waiting has no time for this one — the speaker has more important business.
More proverbs about Wisdom
- Make not fish of one, and flesh of another. — Treat all people with consistent fairness; don't favor some while dismissing others arbit…
- Fish are not to be caught by a birdcall. — Wrong tools waste effort; match your methods to your actual target.
- He fisheth on that catcheth one. — Success in any endeavor comes only to those who actually persist in the attempt, not mere…
- Every shoe fits not every foot. — Different solutions work for different people; what suits one person may not suit another…
- Where every hand fleeceth, the sheep go naked. — Widespread petty theft by many people causes greater damage than a single large theft wou…
- Flowers are the pledge of fruit. — Beautiful beginnings promise productive outcomes, so nurture promising signs carefully fo…
From our untranslatable words
- Shinrin-yoku — Immersing yourself in the atmosphere of a forest — soaking up its calm through all your s…
- Waldeinsamkeit — The serene, faintly mystical feeling of being alone in the woods, at peace with nature.
- Meriggiare — To take a quiet midday rest in a cool, shaded spot, escaping the fierce afternoon sun.