Have Other Fish to Fry
Ever found yourself too busy to consult your to-do list? You’re in good company! The idiom “have other fish to fry” dates back to 17th-century England and means prioritizing other, often more important, tasks over what someone might be asking you to do.
Definition:
To be occupied with other important tasks; to have more significant matters to deal with.
Synonyms:
- Have bigger fish to fry 🐋
- Be preoccupied with more pressing concerns ⏳
- Have other irons in the fire 🔥
- Be engaged elsewhere 📚
Antonyms:
- Twiddling one’s thumbs 👍
- Whistling Dixie 🍅
- Footloose and fancy-free 🎶
- At a loose end 🍃
Humor-filled Quote:
“I’d help you clean up that carnival disaster, but I’ve got other fish to fry! Like figuring out where I stuck my sense of humor.” – Anonymous
Literary References:
- Busy as a Bee 📖: ‘Great Expectations’ by Charles Dickens - Pip’s sister always has ‘other fish to fry’ in the form of domestic scolding.
- Full Plate 🍽️: ‘Eat Pray Love’ by Elizabeth Gilbert – The protagonist often finds she has multiple emotional ‘fish to fry’ on her journey.
Suggested Readings:
- “Juggling Elephants” by Jones Loflin: Explore how prioritizing tasks could feel like balancing elephants when you have other fish to fry.
Movie and TV References:
- “The Devil Wears Prada” - Andy Sachs finds herself with so many figurative fish frying, it’s a wonder she doesn’t smell like a seafood market.
- “Friends” (Season 3, Episode 21) - Rachel tells Ross she has “other fish to fry” after his infamous ‘we were on a break!’ misunderstanding.
Proverb to Ponder:
“There’s fine a line between having other fish to fry and biting off more than you can chew.” – Lady Wisdom 🎣
### Which phrase is synonymous with "have other fish to fry"?
- [x] Have bigger fish to fry
- [ ] Keep pickles in blue jars
- [ ] Swim with chocolate sharks
- [ ] Jump over rubber parks
> **Explanation:** "Have bigger fish to fry" is a commonly known synonym for the phrase, meaning being engaged in more significant tasks.
### Finish the idiom: "Have ___ fish to fry."
- [ ] twelve
- [ ] many
- [ ] catching
- [x] other
> **Explanation:** The correct idiom is "have other fish to fry," not a dozen or catching or many.
### True or False: The phrase 'have other fish to fry' dates back to 17th-century England.
- [x] True
- [ ] False
> **Explanation:** True. The idiom does indeed originate from 17th-century England and has since enjoyed a robust place in our lexicon.
### Which of these idioms means having nothing genuinely to do?
- [ ] Have other irons in the fire
- [ ] Busy as a bee
- [x] Twiddling one's thumbs
- [ ] Put out fires
> **Explanation:** "Twiddling one's thumbs" means having nothing genuinely to do, unlike the other options which imply busyness.
### What does 'bigger fish to fry' mean in other words?
- [ ] To catch a giant fish
- [ ] To procrastinate
- [x] To have more important things to do
- [ ] To walk on the moon
> **Explanation:** "Bigger fish to fry" means having more important tasks to attend to, not catching fish or procrastinating.
Until next time, keep your seas calm and your fish plentiful. Chances are, you’ll always find a few more swimming about.
- N. O. Z. Y.
