# rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/rearrange-the-deck-chairs-on-the-titanic
Updated: 2026-08-10

## 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.

## Examples

- Fixing the printer is just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
- The company is failing, so changing the office furniture is just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
- Editing the font size on a project that the client already cancelled feels like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
- The couple tried to save their marriage by buying new curtains, but they were just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
- The store is closing next week, so cleaning the windows now feels like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
- By focusing on minor policy adjustments while the entire economic system collapses, the government is merely rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

## Origin

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.

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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.