bigger fish to fry
1
6.5
- idiom
- Informal
:
cosas más importantes que atender
- She decided to ignore the minor issue because she had bigger fish to fry today.
And there are many other bigger fish to fry.
- And there are many other bigger fish to fry.
- And I just heard him say social media, YouTube, like YouTube, I got bigger fish to fry than making YouTube videos.
- One, we have much bigger fish to fry, bigger things going on than Trump or DeSantis ever could be.
Examples
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I can't help you with your homework; I have bigger fish to fry at work.
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But we have bigger fish to fry, and we're all working for the same goal.
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We got bigger fish to fry, and all that.
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And I'm like, I have bigger fish to fry right now.
-
I've got bigger fish to fry.
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They've got bigger fish to fry.
-
While it was important to address the complaint, he mentioned he had bigger fish to fry this afternoon.
Synonyms
5
4.4
A matter that needs immediate attention and is very important
1
5.2
A very important problem that must be solved first
To have more important things to do now
Antonyms
How Important
Surface Forms
Morphology
bigger + fish + to + fry
The comparative 'bigger' transparently signals greater size or importance, but the noun phrase 'fish to fry' is a metaphorical idiom: the literal meanings of 'fish' and 'fry' (cook) do not by themselves yield 'matters to attend to' without idiomatic knowledge. Because part of the meaning is inferable from 'bigger' yet the core metaphor requires cultural/idiomatic familiarity, this is best classified as semi-transparent.
Etymology
Bigger fish to fry gives a simple cooking picture: if someone has bigger fish to fry, they will ignore small, less important fish and save time for the larger catch. So, it means 'to have more important or more urgent things to do'.