on the back burner
Not priority now
On the back burner describes something set aside or given low priority, deferred for later attention.
The image comes from cooking—pots on back burners simmer while the cook focuses on what's in front: We put the renovation plans on the back burner until we saved more money.
The opposite is on the front burner, meaning actively under consideration.
- postponementDelaying to later
- cooling offGradual temperature reduction
- tabledDeferred for later
- simmeringCooking below boiling point
- slow cookerAppliance for gradual simmering
procrastination · scheduling · shelved · on the shelf · holding pattern · cooling one's heels · delay · sidelined · low priority · prioritization · rainy day · temporary suspension · waiting in the wings · deferral · strategic planning · hiatus · trade-offs · put aside
- food idiomspiece of cake, bread winner, low-hanging fruit, cool as a cucumber, bad egg
- patience phraseswait, hold on, just a minute, one moment, one second
on the back burnertop priority
Most important item
front and center · priority · first priority · high priority · urgent
on the back burnerin the spotlight
Receiving public attention
center stage · front and center · in the limelight · spotlight · limelight
back, burner, backs, backed, backing, backside, backbone, background, backers