eyeball (redirected from give the hairy eyeball)

*up to one's neck (in something) and *up to one's ears (in something); *up to one's eyeballs (in something)

having a lot of something; Fig. very much involved in something; immersed in something. (*Typically: be ~; get ~.) I can't come to the meeting. I'm up to my neck in these reports. Mary is up to her ears in her work. I am up to my eyeballs in things to do! I can't do any more!

See also: neck, up

eyeball-to-eyeball

Fig. face-to-face and often very close; in person. They approached each other eyeball-to-eyeball and frowned. Let's talk more when we are eyeball-to-eyeball.

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be up to your ears/eyeballs/eyes in something   (British, American & Australian) also be up to your chin in something (American)

to have too much of something, especially work We're up to our eyeballs in decorating at the moment.

See also: ear, up

eyeball to eyeball

if you are eyeball to eyeball with an enemy or someone that you are arguing with, you deal with them in a direct way Troops on the ground are likely to remain eyeball to eyeball for a while yet.