on the back bench—
1. (UK) said of members of Parliament who, because they do not hold office, are not entitled to a front-bench seat:
- His sojourn on the Back Bench will be short lived and he will return to the Front Bench soon.
2. (U.S.) said of the new members of Congress considered as a group:
- While Jim’s been on the back bench in Washington, I’ve been on the front lines here in Nevada.
on the bench—
1. said of a judge in the court of law:
- When a judge rules on a case in which his financial holdings are at stake, public trust is violated…. Conflicts of interest have no place on the bench.
2. said of a sportsman sitting among the substitute players during a game:
- The coach had to keep his star player on the bench with a sprained ankle.