have enough on (one's) plate

(redirected from had enough on her plate)

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have enough on (one's) plate

To be sufficiently busy or preoccupied with work, problems, or difficulties as to be unable or unwilling to cope with anything more. I really wish I could help you move this weekend, but I have enough on my plate as it is!

have enough on your plate

have a lot on your plate

COMMON If you have enough on your plate or have a lot on your plate, you have a lot of work to do or a lot of things to deal with. I'm sorry to bother you with it, Mark, but John's got enough on his plate. I have a lot on my plate over the next year with the Olympics coming up. Note: You can also say that someone has their plate full or has a full plate. I'm making no promises. My staff have their plate full at the present time.

have enough, a lot, etc. on your ˈplate

(informal) have enough, a lot of things, etc. to do or be responsible for: I can’t help you next week, I’ve got too much on my plate. ♢ She has a lot on her plate at the moment; that’s why she looks so worried all the time.

plate, to have a lot/enough on one's

To have more than enough to worry about or cope with. This term originated in the 1920s and transferred the image of an overcrowded dinner plate to a very full agenda. R. Simons used it in Houseboat Killing (1959): “I’ll leave you at it. I’ve got plenty on my plate at the moment.” The synonymous my plate is full (or to have a full plate) date from the same period.