hanging fire

hang fire

1. To wait to take action. I know you want to start on that project, but hang fire until I get these questions answered by the boss.
2. To await further action. How many projects do you have hanging fire right now?
See also: fire, hang
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

hanging fire

Delayed; undecided. This term comes from the seventeenth-century flintlock musket. Frequently an attempt to fire it would end with a flash in the lockpan, a depression that held the priming powder, which would fail to explode the main charge. Thus the gun was left hanging fire, that is, slow to fire a charge. See also flash in the pan.
See also: fire, hanging
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • hang fire
  • hold off doing
  • hold off from (doing something)
  • boss man
  • too many cooks spoil the broth
  • too many cooks spoil the soup
  • too many cooks spoil the stew
  • boss lady
  • an itchy palm
  • itchy palm
References in periodicals archive
The issue has been hanging fire for a long time, and the Archery Association of India ( I) is keen to have him for a few sessions before the Asian Games in September- October.
Berths for Asian GP to be decided
The Constitution (108th Amendment) Bill has been hanging fire for close to 14 years due to the lack of a political consensus on the issue.
No consensus at all-party meeting on Women's Reservation Bill
Then, to no-one's surprise, John Brown took a pot-shot at the BHB for hanging fire over joining the march on the Treasury by the bookmakers, bearing banners calling for a cut in the rate of betting duty to at least three per cent.
Is it one word-or several?
Home ministry officials said preparation has been on to move ahead with the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence Bill, which has been hanging fire for some years.
Riots Bill to be tabled this session
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) is learnt to have raised queries with the oil ministry that require further consultations and can mean changes in the proposal on gas pricing that has been hanging fire for a while now.
GAS PRICE HIKE
Antony, is also likely to take a call on the fate of procurement plan for 197 helicopters which has been hanging fire for several months because of allegations of wrongdoings.
Key meet to streamline arms purchase policy
The Raju- Jaitley meeting took place on Thursday afternoon after five BJP MPs, Anant Kumar Dattatreya, Shivkumar Chanabasappa Udasi, Suresh Angedi, Virendar Kashyap and Ramesh Bais, escalated their opposition to four pieces of legislation that have been hanging fire in the Parliament for almost three years now.
HRD minister seeks BJP help to push through education Bills