irons in the fire
English edit
Etymology edit
Describing a blacksmith working on several pieces at the same time.
Pronunciation edit
Audio (AU) (file)
Noun edit
irons in the fire pl (plural only)
- Tasks in progress; involvement in ongoing projects.
- 2024 January 24, Dyan Perry talks to Nick Brodrick, “The industry has given me so much”, in RAIL, number 1001, page 45:
- Although she plans to step back from the boards of NSAR and East West Rail, there are "a couple of other irons in the fire".
Usage notes edit
May be used with a positive connotation, e.g. "have other irons in the fire" (other projects are available if this one fails), or with a negative connotation, e.g. "too many irons in the fire" (overwhelmed by having too many tasks).
Translations edit
Translations
|