squashed (in) like sardines
Very tightly or snugly packed together, especially in a small space. Alludes to the way in which sardines are packed closely together during canning. We didn't want to take more than one car, so we had to drive for about four hours squashed like sardines in Jeff's little sedan. Having a concert in our friends café was such a good idea! Sure, we were squashed in like sardines, but everyone had a great time.
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