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Work & Money - Busy & Active

Discover how English idioms like "juggle frogs" and "pressed for time" relate to being busy and active in English.

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English idioms related to Work & Money
a (hive|beehive) of (activity|industry)

a place where many people are very busy

Ex: By morning, the kitchen was a hive of activity. 
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to [be|get] (run|rushed) off {one's} feet

to have a lot of things that need to be done

Ex: I have been run off my feet all morning. 
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to [have] (a lot|too much) on {one's} plate

to have a certain amount of tasks or problems that need to be dealt with

Ex: I cannot take on another project; I already have too much on my plate. 
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to [work|slog|sweat] {one's} guts out

to work really hard to achieve an aim

Ex: She worked her guts out to win the scholarship. 
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(as|) busy as a bee

extremely busy with work, activities, etc.

Ex: She has been as busy as a bee all week. 
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to [work] like a (horse|dog|Trojan)

to work exceptionally hard

Ex: She worked like a horse to keep the family business alive. 
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to [burn] the [candle] at both ends

to drain oneself by working very late into the night and getting up early in the morning

Ex: If you keep burning the candle at both ends, you will get sick. 
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(as|) busy as a beaver

extremely active, busy, and hardworking

Ex: She was busy as a beaver getting the shop ready for opening day. 
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to [have] {one's} hands full

to have a lot of work that needs to be dealt with

Ex: I cannot help right now; I have my hands full. 
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(in|into) high gear

in a state that is extremely efficient or active

Ex: After the funding arrived, the project moved into high gear. 
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to {not} [have] a minute to call {one's} own

to be so busy that one has no free time

Ex: Since the twins were born, she has not had a minute to call her own. 
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on the go
on the go
[phrase]

in a state of being actively engaged in various activities or constantly in motion, typically indicating a busy and active lifestyle

Ex: She is always on the go, rushing from one meeting to another. 
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to [juggle] frogs

to try to handle or manage several difficult tasks or responsibilities at the same time, highlighting a busy and demanding situation

Ex: As project lead, she was juggling frogs all week. 
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to [spread] {oneself} too thin

to take on more tasks or responsibilities than one can handle effectively, resulting in a lack of focus and decreased productivity

Ex: She is spreading herself too thin by managing three projects at once. 
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pressed for time

having very little time left

Ex: We are pressed for time, so let's keep the meeting short. 
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the heat [is] on
the heat is on
[sentence]

used to indicate that a situation is becoming highly intense or critical, often implying increased pressure, urgency, or scrutiny

Ex: The heat is on now that the deadline is only two days away. 
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to [buzz] like a beehive

(of a place) to be full of noise, movement, and busy activity

Ex: The office buzzed like a beehive before the deadline. 
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to [run] on empty

to continue functioning with almost no energy, strength, money, or other necessary resources left

Ex: After three night shifts, she was running on empty. 
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to [be] (stretched|spread) thin

to have too much work and too few people, time, or resources

Ex: The staff was stretched thin during the holiday rush. 
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to [keep] all the plates spinning

to manage many tasks or responsibilities at the same time

Ex: She kept all the plates spinning while running the office. 
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