business before pleasure
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
One should prioritize work or duties over enjoyable activities.
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Sources & notes
Listed on Wikipedia “List of proverbial phrases” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.
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Common questions
What does “business before pleasure” mean?
One should prioritize work or duties over enjoyable activities.
Is “business before pleasure” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.
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