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- To occupy oneself with unimportant matters and neglect priorities during a crisis. What's the origin of the phrase 'Fiddling while Rome burns'? The source of this phrase is the supposed story that Nero played the fiddle (violin) while Rome burned, during the great fire in AD 64.
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What's the origin of the phrase 'Fiddling while Rome burns'? The source of this phrase is the supposed story that Nero played the fiddle (violin) while Rome burned, during the great fire in AD 64. There are two major flaws with the story.
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What does fiddling while Rome burns mean?
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What is Rome Is Burning?
Why did Emperor Nero sing while Rome was burning?
to enjoy yourself or continue working as normal and not give any attention to something important and unpleasant that is happening that you should be taking action to prevent: Environmentalists claimed governments were fiddling while Rome burned. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Neglecting and ignoring.
to enjoy yourself or continue working as normal and not give any attention to something important and unpleasant that is happening that you should be taking action to prevent: Environmentalists claimed governments were fiddling while Rome burned. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Neglecting and ignoring.
For example, The account was falling through, but he was more worried about missing his golf game—talk about fiddling while Rome burns! This expression alludes to the legend that the Emperor Nero played his fiddle while watching the conflagration of Rome.
To take little to no productive action during a crisis. The phrase refers to the legend of the Roman Emperor Nero playing the lyre as Rome burned down. Organizing these files is like fiddling while Rome burns—the boss won't care what they look like when he finds out we lost that big client!
The idiom fiddle while Rome burns means to focus on trivial matters while ignoring serious, often disastrous, situations around you. It implies a lack of concern for pressing issues, suggesting that the person is either irresponsible, indifferent, or both.
j destroyed much of Rome in AD 64. This expression alludes to the legend that the Emperor Nero played his fiddle while watching the conflagration of Rome. [Mid-1600s]