first things
What comes earliest
First things refers to matters that should be addressed before anything else, based on their importance or logical sequence.
The phrase appears most often in first things first, an expression urging someone to attend to priorities in proper order rather than getting distracted by secondary concerns.
Let's get first things out of the way before we tackle the details.
- primacyCondition of being foremost
- openingGap or start
- dawnDay's first glow
- sparkTiny fiery particle
- day oneThe absolute beginning
early days · step · initial · tenet · seed · priority · ground floor · cornerstone · baby steps · blank slate · axiom · square one · ground zero · back to basics · from the ground up · genesis · bedrock · fundamental
first thingsafterthoughts
Late-arriving ideas
follow-ups · loose ends · postscripts · sequels · addenda
first thingstrivialities
Insignificant matters
minor details · nonessentials · incidentals · peripherals · side issues