fiddle while Rome burns

== English == === Alternative forms === fiddle whilst Rome burns === Etymology === From the ancient rumour that the Roman emperor Nero played a lyre during the Great Fire of Rome (AD 64). === Pronunciation === === Verb === fiddle while Rome burns (third-person singular simple present fiddles while Rome burns, present participle fiddling while Rome burns, simple past and past participle fiddled while Rome burned or fiddled while Rome burnt) (idiomatic) To neglect helping when one’s time is needed most; to ignore the major problem at hand (whilst doing something less important); to be idle, inactive, or uninterested in a time of great need. ==== Synonyms ==== sit on one's hands sit on one's thumbs ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic bury one's head in the sand === Further reading === “fiddle while Rome burns”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.