up to one's neck in alligators

phrase

Extremely busy; having many pressing obligations, distractions, etc., consuming one's time.

“For quotations using this term, see Citations:up to one's neck in alligators.”

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Meanings

phrase
  1. idiomaticslangExtremely busy; having many pressing obligations, distractions, etc., consuming one's time.

    For quotations using this term, see Citations:up to one's neck in alligators.

Origin

An expressive image, derived from the proverb "when you're up to your neck in alligators, it's hard to remember that your initial objective was to drain the swamp".

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

up to one's neck in alligators. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/up%20to%20one's%20neck%20in%20alligators

MLA

“up to one's neck in alligators.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/up%20to%20one's%20neck%20in%20alligators. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “up to one's neck in alligators,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/up%20to%20one's%20neck%20in%20alligators.

Source: up to one's neck in alligators on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.