“Backburner” is an idiom meaning something or someone has low priority compared to other things. It comes from the top of a cooking apparatus where back burners are reserved for items that require low heat. It can be applied to any choice that requires priority. “Foreground” is used for high importance or precedence.
“Backburner” is a cooking phrase that can serve as an idiom in English sayings. In this context, the phrase means that something or someone has a low priority or level of importance compared to other things. Therefore, the item is in a pending state. People or businesses that are at the bottom of a watchlist or rating system will then generally be given the status of “backburner”.
Like most idiomatic expressions, this slang compares a real object or event with a symbolic action or object. The actual object in question is the top of an oven or other large cooking apparatus. The heating devices on top of a cooking apparatus are known as burners and most cooking techniques take place on the portions closest to the cook or on the front burners. Back burners, on the other hand, are generally reserved for items that require only a low level of heat or attention. For example, food that needs to stay hot can be placed in the rear burner.
Likewise, a person or task cannot be given a high priority. An employee of a large organization, for example, might have several tasks pending and need to prioritize. Thus, attending a meeting can get the employee’s full attention while replying to an email is moved down the list of essential tasks. The email is then placed in the “backburner”, where it will remain in a pending state until it becomes important.
The examples aren’t limited to the professional world, as any choice that requires priority can apply to this saying. If an individual is faced with the choice between taking a vacation or dealing with a personal family matter, he may be forced to put less urgent vacations on the back burner. In turn, a sports coach may have to give a lower priority to recruiting new talent or purchasing the necessary equipment. The term can also be used in fictional works where the main characters are given “main burner” roles while supporting characters remain in a “precedent” status.
Thus, unlike oblivion, something can be given high importance or precedence. In these cases, the terminology used would be “foreground”. These people or situations are considered first. Despite the ordering of articles or situations, a situation “in the background” is not completely overlooked, but simply postponed. Details are only worked out occasionally rather than on a consistent basis.
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