Taking a Backseat to
My first co-teacher used to give another teacher a ride to work sometimes but she would always sit in the back seat. It was a strange thing to me. A person of higher social status should sit in the rear passenger seat. The second most important person sits in the seat behind the driver. Finally, the third most important person sits next to the driver. This of course is meant for more formal situations. It doesn’t matter much when you are out with friends.
One of my coworkers called the most important seat, the chairman seat. Another coworker noted that it is the safest seat in the car. I am reminded of a Doug Demuro video. He reviewed a car with an amazing chairman seat. The front passenger seat folds down to make a footrest. The chairman seat also had a massage function. It seems like something from a Rolls Royce, but it is in a Hyundai car!
Unfortunately, the opposite is true for today’s phrase. Taking a back seat means that something is not as important, so it can be ignored while you do more important things. Lately, I have been doing a lot of cycling and work on esltoybox.com. I should be studying Korean harder, but it is taking a backseat to cycling now.
To use this phrase, first state the less important thing. Then say, “is taking a back seat to.” Finally, add the more important thing to the end of the sentence.
Example: Ping pong has taken a backseat to homework this week.
See Also: Riding shotgun, Running Out of Steam, When it rains, it pours
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