be up to (one's) ears in (something)
To have too much of something; to be overwhelmed by something. We're still unpacking our new house, so we're just up to our ears in boxes. If any of my guys get hurt at the construction site, I'll be up to my ears in paperwork. A: "Will you buy this old TV off of me?" B: "No thanks. I'm up to my ears in these old units as it is."
be up to (one's) eyes in (something)
To have too much of something; to be overwhelmed by something. I'm still unpacking, so I'm up to my eyes in boxes. If any of my guys get hurt at the construction site, I'll be up to my eyes in paperwork. A: "Will you buy this old TV off of me?" B: "No thanks. I'm up to my eyes in these old units as it is."
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
up to one's ears/eyes/eyebrows, to be
To be completely engrossed or overwhelmed. These phrases, likening physical immersion in something to figurative engrossment, have been around a long time. Richard Barnfield used “In love up to the eares” in The Affectionate Shepheard (1594). Anthony Trollope had “All the Burtons are full up to their eyes with good sense” in The Claverings (1866), about a century after the term came into use.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer