up to (one's) ears in (something)
(redirected from up to their ears)up to (one's) ears in (something)
1. Having an excessive or overwhelming amount of 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.
2. Extremely busy with something; deeply or overly involved in something. There's no way I can take a vacation right now, I'm up to my ears in work at the moment! I only meant to be have a consulting role, but before I knew it I was in up to my ears in David's new business venture!
up to one's ears
(in something) Go to up to one's neck (in something).
up to one's ears
Also, in up to one's eyes or eyeballs or neck . Deeply involved; also, oversupplied, surfeited. For example, I'm up to my ears in work, or He's in up to his eyes with the in-laws. This hyperbolic and slangy idiom implies one is flooded with something up to those organs. The first was first recorded in 1839; up to the eyes in 1778; to the eyeballs in 1911; to the neck in 1856.
up to your ears in
very busy with or deeply involved in. informalup to one’s ears
verbup to (one's) ears
Deeply involved or occupied fully: I'm up to my ears in work.