ENGLISH
REFERENCE

rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic

idiom
Meaning

To do something pointless or insignificant that will soon be overtaken by events, or that contributes nothing to the solution of a current problem.


Origin

first recorded 20th c.

The Titanic was an ocean liner that sank on the morning of April 15, 1912 after striking an iceberg. The phrase rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic implies trying to move the chairs on the deck around while the ship is sinking, a pointless activity.

Examples
SIMPLE

Fixing the printer is just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

CONTEXTUAL

The company is failing, so changing the office furniture is just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

COMPLEX

By focusing on minor policy adjustments while the entire economic system collapses, the government is merely rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Anchors to
Related idioms3entries
  1. 01

    few cards shy of a full deck

    Mentally deranged; demented; insane.

  2. 02

    play with a full deck

    To behave in a manner suggesting that one is of normal intelligence, alert, and mentally stable.

  3. 03

    sweep the deck

    To clear off all the stakes on the table by winning them.

© 2026 English Reference