# he has bigger fish to fry

idiom · CEFR B1

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/he-has-bigger-fish-to-fry
Updated: 2026-06-07

## Meaning

He has bigger things to take care of than what we are talking about now

## Examples

- He ignores the small complaints because he has bigger fish to fry.
- 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.

## Origin

Attested in 17th-century English (e.g. John Evelyn's Memoirs, 1660) and in early translations of Don Quixote.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.