He ignores the small complaints because he has bigger fish to fry.
he has bigger fish to fry
idiomHe has bigger things to take care of than what we are talking about now
Origin
first recorded 17th c.Attested in 17th-century English (e.g. John Evelyn's Memoirs, 1660) and in early translations of Don Quixote.
The manager won't worry about the broken coffee machine today because he has much bigger fish to fry with the upcoming audit.
While the junior staff focused on minor office politics, the CEO remained indifferent, clearly signaling that he had bigger fish to fry regarding the company's global expansion strategy.
Last updated June 7, 2026