Feifei Hello and welcome to The English We Speak with me, Feifei…
Rob …and me, Rob. So, Feifei, what are you doing tonight?
Feifei Tonight? Oh, erm, I’m busy – I’m washing my hair tonight.
Rob Oh right – so you’re not going to that new bar for a drink? I overheard someone saying that you and some of the team were going.
Feifei Oh yes! The new bar. We are going for a drink – just one - on the way home – errr…. Would you like to join us?
Rob Oh yes that would be great!
Feifei Actually, haven’t you got that big project to finish? The one the boss said was very important?
Rob Oh that! No, no, no – that’s not important – I’ll leave it for a few days and he’ll forget about it.
Feifei Hmm, so you’re going to kick it into the long grass?
Rob ‘Kick it into the long grass’? You mean delay a plan or decision about something because it will only cause problems for me – and that by delaying it, it might get forgotten altogether?
Feifei That’s exactly what I meant! Let’s hear some examples of this phrase in action…
Examples The decision to kick the plans for a new railway line into the long grass means that we’ll have to continue to face overcrowding and slow journey times.
He hoped by kicking a decision on her marriage proposal into the long grass she’d soon forget – but she didn’t!
I’ve decided to kick this plan to redecorate the house into the long grass – we’ve got more urgent things to do, like fixing the hole in the roof!
Feifei You’re listening to The English We Speak from BBC Learning English. In this programme, we’re looking at the expression ’to kick something into the long grass’. It means to delay a plan or decision because it is difficult or problematic. And Rob is delaying the project the boss asked him to do because it’s hard work.
Rob Hard work? This project is perfect for someone with my skills, but I need time to think about it… maybe a few weeks.
Feifei But if you kick it into the long grass, you won’t be able to find it!
Rob Of course not. Now, what time are we going for that drink?
The Boss Rob could I have a word about that urgent project I asked you to do – as soon as possible?
Feifei Oh dear, Rob. It looks like you’re going to have to kick that drink into the long grass. I think you’d better go and see the boss. Good luck!
Rob OK. See you later.
Feifei Bye!