On the Long Finger
Deferred indefinitely; shelved without being formally cancelled. To put something on the long finger is to acknowledge it needs doing while removing it from the immediate workload. The phrase is the standard Hiberno-English way to describe a polite postponement.
Etymology
A direct translation of the Irish 'ar an mhéar fhada' - literally 'on the long finger'. The long finger is the middle finger, the one furthest from the work of the hand: something placed there is held at distance and not actually dealt with. The Irish idiom is old; the English version is well established by the early 20th century, when it spread from political speech into general use. It is now the default Hiberno-English term for a deferred decision.
In a sentence
We'll not let this go on the long finger again. - a political pledge
He has the box of receipts on the long finger this five years. - a domestic complaint
Historical notes
The phrase is a fixture of Irish political language: every Dáil session and every Stormont debate turns up at least one accusation that some issue has been put on the long finger by the other side. The construction's quiet dignity suits the use - a polite way of saying nothing has been done, dressed as a procedural observation.
Sources
- Dolan, Terence Patrick. A Dictionary of Hiberno-English. Gill Books (entry: long finger). · dictionary
- Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla (Ó Dónaill), entry méar (the idiom ar an mhéar fhada). · dictionary
- Carey, Stan. Sentence First (commentary on Irish-language calques in Hiberno-English). · other