Etymology Journal · H
Have bigger fish to fry
Meaning
- A way to tell someone that their current problem is insignificant compared to the other massive disasters you are currently juggling. It is a polite way of saying you do not have time for their drama.
Dismissive, busy, professional
Used in a sentence
- I can't worry about the office temperature, I have bigger fish to fry.
- He didn't want to argue about the budget because he had bigger fish to fry.
- We have bigger fish to fry before the deadline hits.
The backstory
The phrase dates back to at least the 17th century. It originally referenced the idea that one has more important work to do than frying small, bony fish.
Heard in
Nationwide
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