Here's an exercise for you.
We've all heard the following expression many times:
Too many times, in fact.
What does it really mean? I guess it means she's really busy, or got a lot of projects to manage. Something to that effect. But we've heard it so many times that it ceases to light up our minds with a graphic image.
Here's my challenge to you:
Can you think of some fresh expressions or metaphors to communicate the idea that "a person is really busy."
For example, if you wanted to say that somebody is mentally slow, you might say that:
"He's a few bricks shy of a load."
But there are also other ways. For example:
"His belt doesn't go through all the loops."
"His elevator doesn't go all the way to the top."
"His bell has no clanger."
"He's a few French fries short of a Happy Meal."
What are fresh, colorful expressions for saying a "person is really busy"?
[Fun Fact: The plate on the left is a meal I ate in Rabat, Morocco, and the one on the right is a meal my wife had in Takayama, Japan.]
Update: Here are some of my favorites so far (be sure to check comments both to see and to add more):
- Jim Ley: "His calendar is writing checks his clock cannot cash."
- Katie Konrath: "He's got too many songs for his playlist."
- Craig Bruce via John E.: "His to-do list is so long that it doesn't have an end; it has an event horizon."
- Bill: "Busier than a teenage boy with two penises."
- Maria Helm: "I'm so busy I'm thinking of having a catheter installed so I can pee."


He manages/tries to please three women at the same time. (depending on if he has to much or just a lot)
If life was a computer he'd be a quad core processor. (for the geeks out there)
He has a yard with twenty trees and no leaf blower (if he has more to do then he can handle)
Posted by: Tomas | 14 October 2007 at 02:45 PM
Busier than a hooker on nickel night.
Always loved being busier than a one-legged guy in a butt kicking contest tho.
Posted by: Ravager | 04 May 2008 at 01:25 PM
para sa isang taong ntatkluban na ng mga gawain
sa tagalog -hindi nya na ako makita kahit kaharap ko na sya..
for a person who is oveloaded with works to do
in english - she can no longer see me even I'm already in front of her..
Posted by: jesslally | 08 July 2008 at 12:12 AM
Juggling more balls than a Russian hooker
Posted by: Nate D. | 30 July 2009 at 11:03 AM
Busier than a cat trying to cover up on a cement sidewalk
Posted by: Roger | 28 December 2009 at 02:18 PM