Idioms

bikeshedding

bikeshedding

Wasting time on peripheral, usually trivial matters. A reference to British historian C. Northcote Parkinson's "law of triviality," the assertion that people tend to focus disproportionately on insignificant, marginal issues. (His hypothetical example was of people planning a nuclear power plant who would spend the majority of their time planning the power plant's bike shed instead.) You guys are too focused on choosing the right font for the app, considering there are pretty obvious bugs that need fixing. Come on, enough with the bikeshedding! There's no correct way to hang Christmas lights, so quit bikeshedding and decorate the house already! Wait, the boss is upset that the color on the sign is less clementine and more apricot? Well, since they're very similar shades of orange, this sounds like a case of bikeshedding to me.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
See also:
Copyright © 2003-2025 Farlex, Inc Disclaimer
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.