fish to fry, to have better/bigger/other

have bigger fish to fry

To have more important or more interesting things to do or attend to. It's really not worth my time. I've got bigger fish to fry! I want Chris to help me with this project, but he claims he has bigger fish to fry right now.See also: big, fish, fry, have

have other fish to fry

To have more important or more interesting things to do or attend to. I hope the boss keeps this meeting short—we all have other fish to fry.See also: fish, fry, have, other

other fish to fry

Other, more important matters to deal with. I can't worry about that now, I've got other fish to fry! I want Chris to help me with this project, but he claims he has other fish to fry right now.See also: fish, fry, other

have bigger fish to fry

 and have other fish to fry; have more important fish to fryFig. to have other things to do; to have more important things to do. I can't take time for your problem. I have other fish to fry. I won't waste time on your question. I have bigger fish to fry.See also: big, fish, fry, have

other fish to fry

Also, better or bigger fish to fry . More important matters to attend to, as in They asked me to help with the decorations, but I have other fish to fry. [Mid-1500s] See also: fish, fry, other

have other fish to fry

or

have bigger fish to fry

If you have other fish to fry or have bigger fish to fry, you have something more important, interesting, or profitable to do. I didn't pursue it in detail because I'm afraid I had other fish to fry at the time. She tried to avoid wasting time on bureaucratic squabbling. She had bigger fish to fry. Note: This phrase is often varied. For example, if someone has their own fish to fry, they are not interested in doing something because they have business of their own to deal with. Tony comes and goes. He's got his own fish to fry, as they say.See also: fish, fry, have, other

have other (or bigger) fish to fry

have other or more important matters to attend to. 1985 Gregory Benford Artifact Kontos can throw a fit back there, chew the rug, anything—it won't matter. His government has bigger fish to fry. See also: fish, fry, have, other

other fish to fry

Informal Other matters to attend to: He declined to come along to the movie, saying he had other fish to fry.See also: fish, fry, other

fish to fry, to have better/bigger/other

To have other, more important matters to attend to. Referring to fish cookery, this term dates from the seventeenth century. “I fear he has other fish to fry,” wrote John Evelyn in his Memoirs (1660). Actually, this term also appeared in an early translation of Rabelais’s Pantagruel (1552) by Motteux, but it did not seem to catch on until later.See also: better, big, fish, have, other