have several irons in the fire

have several irons in the fire

To have several simultaneous activities or potential undertakings or opportunities. I have several irons in the fire at work right now and it's going to be tricky to balance all of them over the next few weeks. A: "How's the job search going?" B: "No interviews yet, but I have several irons in the fire."

See also: fire, have, iron, several