[Idiom] ON THE BACK BURNER. - Prioritizing Tasks: What Goes on the Back Burner?

Defer or assign low priority to.

To put something "on the back burner" means to delay dealing with it or to give it a lower priority compared to other, more urgent tasks. This idiom is kitchen-inspired, where less urgent pots are literally placed on the back burner of the stove to simmer slowly while more immediate meals are cooked at the front.

Example Sentences

1. Let’s put that on the back burner until next week.

   Let's postpone that issue until next week.

2. He placed his plans on the\r back burner so he could focus on his studies.

   He delayed his plans to prioritize his studies.

3. Due to budget cuts, many projects are being put on the back burner for now.

   Due to budget cuts, many projects are temporarily postponed.