[Idiom] lower on the totem pole

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English70

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Joined
Sep 11, 2010
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Student or Learner
Native Language
Brazilian Portuguese
Home Country
Brazil
Current Location
United States
Hi,
I need to know the meaning or a way to rewrite that sentence so i can better understand it.

" Dont get me wrong-it isn't that my parents dont care about Jesse or
whatever trouble he's gotten himself mixed up in. It's just that they dont
really have time to care about it, because it's a problem somewhere lower
on the totem pole."


thanks
 

billmcd

Key Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Hi,
I need to know the meaning or a way to rewrite that sentence so i can better understand it.

" Dont get me wrong-it isn't that my parents dont care about Jesse or
whatever trouble he's gotten himself mixed up in. It's just that they dont
really have time to care about it, because it's a problem somewhere lower
on the totem pole."

thanks

In this example it means that the parents have more important problems to deal with. You could say that it is a problem of lesser importance.
 
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