0417 Put on the back burner

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TIME & TIMING
Delay & Procrastination
[0417] Put on the back burner

Explanation

To delay dealing with something or give it low priority because other things are considered more important at the moment.

Origin

Comes from the analogy of a stove top. Items needing immediate attention or high heat are cooked on the front burners. Pots that can simmer slowly or wait are placed on the back burners.
Therefore, putting something on the back burner means giving it less immediate attention.

Alternatives

Slang/Informal:

Put it on ice (Temporarily stop progress)
Shelve it (Set it aside, often for a longer time)

Vulgar/Emphatic:

Not typically used with vulgarity, as it's usually a neutral statement of priority.

Milder/Formal:

Defer / Defer action on...
Postpone consideration of...
Table the discussion/proposal (Formal meeting terminology)
Assign lower priority to...

Situational Appropriateness

Appropriate in both informal and formal settings, especially common in business, project management, and planning contexts.
Generally seen as a neutral way to state a change in priorities.

Misunderstanding Warnings

Non-native speakers might not be familiar with the stove metaphor, but the meaning of 'postpone' or 'deprioritize' is usually clear from the context.

Examples

We had to put the new marketing campaign on the back burner while we dealt with the budget crisis.
My plan to learn guitar is on the back burner until I finish my degree.
Let's put that topic on the back burner for today's meeting and focus on the main agenda.

Dialogue

Team Member 1: What's the status of the employee wellness program proposal?

Manager: Given the current restructuring, we need to put that on the back burner for now. All focus needs to be on supporting the transition.

Team Member 1: Okay, I understand. Should I pause work on it completely?

Manager: Yes, for the time being.

Response Patterns

Agreement/Acknowledgement: Okay, sounds sensible., Got it., Alright.
Questioning: For how long?, Why?, When will we revisit it?
Disappointment (if it affects the listener): Oh, okay., That's a shame.

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

After something is put on the back burner:

Often involves agreeing when to revisit the item: Let's pick it up again next quarter., Remind me in a month.
Shifting focus to the higher priority items.

Conversation Starter

No. It's a statement about the priority level of a specific, known item.

Intonation

Usually neutral and matter-of-fact, stating a decision about priorities.
Stress often falls on BACK burner. We'll have to put that on the BACK burner.

Generation Differences

Widely understood and used, particularly familiar to those in work environments.

Regional Variations

Very common in American English, widely understood and used in other English-speaking regions as well.

Drag one's feet

🎲 Kick the can down the road

[0417] Put on the back burner