On the Back Burner – Meaning, Origins

When you hear someone say they’re putting something on the back burner, it usually means you’re delaying it, not making a priority right now. This common saying often pops up in both work and personal conversations. I’ve heard it in team meetings when projects get postponed, and even in my own home when deciding which household chore can wait. But many don’t stop to wonder—where did this phrase come from, and why do we say it?

Think about cooking for a moment. When a pot doesn’t need immediate attention, you might move it to a less hot part of the stove. This action ensures the dish keeps simmering without boiling over. It’s a perfect visual for postponing plans or tasks—they’re still there, just not front and center. The idea likely comes from older kitchens with real stovetops, where pots needing less heat were placed in the back. The phrase has evolved from literal kitchen work to a layered, casual expression we use to talk about everything from missed deadlines to shifting goals. It’s an idiom that reflects everyday strategy, priorities, and how we handle life’s moving parts.

What Does “On the Back Burner” Mean?

The phrase “on the back burner” refers to intentionally postponing something in favor of more pressing matters. It pauses the action—but doesn’t cancel it.

• Still on your radar, not forgotten.
  
• Delay with purpose, not negligence.
  
• Named after stove burners: the back burner simmers while the front burner cooks fast.

This idiom reflects strategic prioritization rather than neglect.

Literal vs Figurative Use

Picture a stove: front burners heat fast and demand attention. Back burners operate more slowly, keeping dishes warm. Figuratively, the same concept applies:

Literal Meaning	Figurative Meaning
Food simmers slowly	Task is delayed intentionally
Active but inactive	Forward scheduling, not canceling
You control when to stir	You decide when to revisit

The idiom works best when you want someone to understand that a decision or task isn’t lost—it’s simply deferred.

Origins of the Idiom

Though no single inventor is credited, American cooking culture triggered the phrase. In the early 20th century, gas stoves with front and back burners became household staples.

• 1940s: Business Week mentioned projects “on the back burner.”
  
• 1950s–60s: Politicians began using it in speeches—delaying reforms without discarding them.
  
• Over time, it slipped naturally into corporate, casual, and cultural conversations.

How Americans Use “On the Back Burner” Today

Everyday Conversation

People use it to explain tasks or plans delayed due to busy schedules or shifting priorities:

• “I put getting a new car on the back burner until I finish saving more.”
  
• “We put our vacation planning on the back burner while kids finish school.”

In Business

Leaders and managers often use it casually in meetings or strategy sessions:

• “We’ve put the client feedback project on the back burner until Q3.”
  
• “Launch that feature later—it’s on the back burner while we fix critical bugs.”

Political & Media Contexts

Politicians and journalists use the idiom to describe delayed policies or negotiations:

• 2023 case study: U.S. immigration reform went “on the back burner” during budget debates—prioritized later once the crisis eased.

Online and Social Media

Platforms like Twitter or Reddit show people using the phrase in personal and professional contexts:

• “Putting my side hustle on the back burner until I sort out my day job.”
  
• It’s casual, relatable, and clearly understood by most U.S. audiences.

Why Do People Put Things on the Back Burner?

Managing Cognitive Load

Switching between tasks increases mental fatigue. By deferring low-priority work, people reduce cognitive load and maintain focus on what matters now.

Emotional Drivers

• Fear of failure: Postponing big decisions can reduce stress.
  
• Lack of urgency: Tasks without immediate deadlines often get deferred.

Strategic Delay

Sometimes delay is smart. Letting ideas percolate can produce stronger outcomes later on. Consider chief executives placing strategic planning “on the back burner” until market conditions improve.

Tools to Help Prioritize

Use the Eisenhower Matrix to visualize:

Urgency	Importance	Suggested Action
✔︎	✔︎	Do now
✔︎	✘	Delegate/autopilot
✘	✔︎	Put on back burner
✘	✘	Drop or postpone indefinitely

Apply the Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule):

Focus on the 20% of tasks that yield 80% of results. The rest? On the back burner until they matter—or not at all.

Time-blocking & Calendars

Schedule “back burner” tasks in low-productivity slots—or track them in digital to-do apps with reminders to revisit them later.

Real-Life Examples

Personal Life

• Fitness goals: “I put training on the back burner while recovering from surgery.”
• Budgeting: “Investing for retirement went on the back burner while clearing credit card debt.”

Workplace

• Software development: Feature requests and user feedback are frequently layered in backlog but not abandoned.
• Marketing: New campaigns get postponed to prioritize sales-driven efforts.

Political Analyses

• In fiscal debates and policy coverage, journalists often note that reforms are on the back burner, meaning delayed but still on the agenda.

Common Mistakes & Misunderstandings

Mistake	Better Usage Example
Believing it means “cancelled”	Clarify it’s a delay: “It’s been delayed, still on back burner.”
Misusing in formal writing	Use sparingly in contracts; use “postpone” or “prioritize.”
Awkward placement	Wrong: “On the back burner I put that idea.” Right: “I put that idea on the back burner.”

Synonyms and Related Phrases

• Table It
  
  • Used in meetings: indefinite delay.
    
• Put On Ice
  
  • Informal, like freezing something temporarily.
    
• Put Off
  
  • General delay, less vivid.
    
• Take a Rain Check
  
  • Common for social events.
    

Phrase	Context	Tone/Formality
Back burner	Task prioritization	Neutral
Table it	Business meetings	Formal
Put off	General delay	Neutral
Rain check	Social postponement	Casual

Grammar & Sentence Structure Tips

• Tense examples:
  
  • Present: “I put it on the back burner.”
    
  • Past: “I had put it on the back burner.”
    
  • Future: “I’ll put it on the back burner.”
    
• Avoid redundant phrasing:
  
  • ❌ “I delayed it and put it on the back burner.”
    
  • ✅ “I put it on the back burner until next month.”
    

Make sure the idiom doesn’t feel forced in your sentence. Keep it natural and conversational.

Literature, Pop Culture & Media Use

• TV & Film: In The Office, characters joke about putting tasks on the back burner during chaos. In Mad Men, executives defer projects in tense meetings.
• Books: Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg uses it to describe career goals deferred due to personal or family choices.
• Music & Lyrics: Indie artists sometimes use it metaphorically about relationships or emotional needs simmering in the background.

These appearances reflect the idiom’s flexibility across styles and contexts.

• Common in professional, corporate, and political contexts.
  
• Less pronounced in rural speech where direct phrasing is more common.
  
• Industries like tech, consulting, and finance often use it as business jargon.

When to Use—or Avoid—this Idiom

Suitable:

• Informal business emails.
  
• Blog posts, presentations.
  
• Conversations with colleagues or friends.

Avoid:

• Legal contracts: too vague.
  
• Customer-facing communications: might seem dismissive.
  
• Non-native English contexts: the metaphor may not translate well.

Professional Alternatives

Use these in more formal or global contexts:

• “We’re postponing this project until next quarter.”
  
• “This initiative is not a current priority.”
  
• “We’ll revisit this after reviewing other deliverables.”

Visual Metaphor: Priority Stove

[Front Burner] – High Priority (Do Now)

[Middle Burner] – Medium Priority (Soon)

[Back Burner] – Low Priority but Not Forgotten

[Counter/Off the Stove] – Cancelled or Eliminated

This kitchen imagery helps anyone understand where tasks stand at a glance.

Conclusion

The idiom on the back burner started as a kitchen practice where cooks left food simmering while they focused on important dishes at the front of the stove. Over time, it evolved into a common phrase for delaying less urgent tasks, whether in corporate, political, or personal contexts. Understanding this origin gives us insight into how people strategically handle tight schedules, shifting priorities, and looming deadlines without abandoning or canceling their goals completely.

FAQs

1. What does “on the back burner” mean in simple terms?

It means putting something aside temporarily because it’s not a top priority right now.

2. Where did the phrase originate?

It comes from kitchen practices where pots needing less attention were moved to the back of a stove to simmer slowly.

3. Can you use this idiom in a business setting?

Yes, businesses often say projects are put on the back burner when resources are focused on more urgent work.

4. Does putting something on the back burner mean it’s canceled?

No, it means it’s temporarily moved aside and may be revisited later, not permanently stopped.

5. Why is this idiom still relevant today?

In fast-moving environments, complex schedules require thoughtful guides for managing multiple decisions, making this idiom as relevant as ever.