iron in the fire

iron in the fire

Something that one is currently working on. Often used in the plural ("irons in the fire"). I have several irons in the fire at work right now and it's going to be tricky to balance all of them over the next few weeks. A: "How's the job search going?" B: "No interviews yet, but I have a lot of irons in the fire." That sounds like a ton of assignments, though. If you have too many irons in the fire, you're liable to burn yourself out.

See also: fire, iron

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

iron in the fire

An undertaking or project in progress: has many irons in the fire this year.

See also: fire, iron

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.