What does 'to kick into the long grass' mean?

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…

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!

Rob: Bye.