To be snowed under with work; not to have a minute to spare; to be (hard) at it

e.g. After so much inactivity it's good to be hard at it again I'm snowed under with work this week, but next week I'll probably have more time.

(to have) other fish to fry — (to have) other business to do (and there­fore be busy)

e.g. What did you mean by saying you had other fish to fry, Sir Charles?

A busy person may protest (against some additional work, etc.) in the following words:

і have only one pair of hands:

e.g. Can't you look after yourselves for once? I've only got one pair of hands, you know.

The idea of working too hard is expressed in the following phrases: to burn the candle at both ends — to work too hard; use all one's energy;

stay up late and get up early

e.g. "I'm worried about you," she said.

"What's the matter?"

"You mustn't burn the candle at both ends."

to overdo it — to make oneself too tired by working too hard

e.g. Mind you don't go overdoing it now you are here. Remember no

late hours.

Other phrases connected with the idea of much work include the fol­lowing:

to work one's fingers to the bone - to work very hard

e.g. I intend to go at my profession in earnest, and work my fingers to the bone.

to keep one's nose to the grindstone — to work hard and labouriously

e.g. John wants to take the doctor's degree; he has to keep his nose to the grindstone.

to have one's work cut out (for one) — to have as much work as one can do; to have a difficult task

e.g. It's a big job, he'll have his work cut out for him.

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Getting over the hard, preliminary work may be colloquially put in this way:

to break the back (the neck) of a thing (job, etc.) — to have disposed of the main part of the task

e.g. This has been a big job but I have broken the back of it now.

Other common phrases dealing with work arc-to sack a person — to dismiss him from work

e.g. As a matter of fact, I hadn't thought they would want to sack me.

to get (be given) the sack (the boot) — to be dismissed from a job

e.g. Unless you improve your work, you'll get the boot.

to kick out — to remove, to dismiss

to get a golden handshake — to get a large amount of money when leav­ing a job

e.g. "I'm worried about our finance."

"But you got a nice golden handshake when you left'.'

"When I was kicked out, you mean'.'

"OK. When you got the boot."

to give notice (to one's employer) — to give official warning of one's intention to cease employment

e.g. I have given him notice. In a couple of weeks I shall have shaken off his accursed slavery.

to be in the same boat — to be in the same bad situation

e.g. Jim and I both lost our job yesterday. Now we are in the same boat.

to call it a day may be similarly used with the meaning to consider that particular period of work finished.

e.g. You must have had something in mind? You didn't think you'd close shop and call it a day?

to be at a loose end - to be without definite occupation; to have nothing to do although you would like to be occupied

e.g. She's at a loose end, you know, badly wants something to do.

to play truant (play hookey) — to remain away from one's place of work, especially school, without a good reason

e.g. I happened to have nothing very pressing just then to tie me, and I determined to play hookey from my consulting room for half a day and go over to Eastfolk museum.

Thorough knowledge (understanding) of a thing (person) is expressed by these phrases in common use:

to know something (somebody) like the palm of one's hand — to know thoroughly

e.g. Everything can be done is being done, you needn't worry about that. Martin knows the place like the palm of his hand.

to know on which side one's bread is buttered — to know when one's interests lie

e.g. He looked clever, but he had also — and it was one of his great attractions — an air as if he did not know on which side his bread was but­tered he should be easy to deal in money matters.

APPENDICES

Other common phrases dealing with money matters are:

to be in the red — to be in debts

e.g. Your account is in the red.

to be in the black — to have money in a bank account

e.g. Our account is in the black this month.

Colloquial phrases to express failure include the following:

to fell through — to fail to materialize; to come to nothing; to fail

e.g. He made careful plans but they all fell through.

to miss the bus — to fail to seize a vital opportunity

e.g. There were several vacancies in the new plant, but Geoffrey missed the bus.

to go to the wall — to fail; to succumb to superior force; to get the worst of it (Out of proverb: The weakest goes to the wall)

e.g. Business is a hard game, and the weak go to the wall.

APPENDIX 2