# kick into the long grass

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/kick-into-the-long-grass
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To postpone action on something.

## Examples

- They decided to kick the project into the long grass for now.
- You should not kick your health concerns into the long grass.
- The committee realized the proposal was too controversial, so they chose to kick it into the long grass until next year.
- Instead of fixing the broken software today, the manager wants to kick the problem into the long grass until the new team arrives.
- Rather than addressing the mounting fiscal deficit immediately, the administration opted to kick the issue into the long grass, hoping to avoid a political confrontation before the election.

## Origin

The expression derives from the analogy of kicking a football off the field of play and into the surrounding long grass. In the context of the sport, the manoeuvre serves to halt the game and remove the ball from immediate use. The phrase moved into political and bureaucratic English to describe the act of delaying a decision by referring a matter to a committee or inquiry, effectively removing the issue from the field of active debate.

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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.