English Idiom – Up to your neck in something.
Meaning – To be very busy with something. To be very involved with something or to be very occupied with something. Alternatively this expression can be used to refer to having too much of something. Often used in a negative way – to be overwhelmed by something – it can also be used in a positive way, if you are very busy doing something you enjoy.
You can also be up to your neck in a difficult situation that is hard to escape from.
- “My friend needs help because she is up to her neck in debt.
“There are other versions of this idiomatic expression which have the same meaning:
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- Up to my ears in something
- Up to my eyeballs in something
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If you wish to say that you are very busy you can also use the English idioms too many irons in the fire or too much on my plate.
Usage:
When could you use this idiom?
- You are seriously busy at work.
- If you are working on a number of assignments at the same time.
- When you are discussing a friend who has a number of serious problems.
- You have too much paperwork to complete!
Example:
- “My car broke down, my cat is missing and now the roof is leaking. I’m really up to my neck in it at the moment!”
In The News:
55-64s most likely to feel ‘up to their neck in debt’ as financial squeeze bites
Discuss:
- Is there an idiom like this in your country?
What is an idiom?
An idiom is a word or phrase that is not taken literally. An idiom is an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its individual words, but has a separate meaning of its own.
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