# up to one's neck in alligators

> English word · Phrase

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

## Etymology
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".

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/up-to-one-s-neck-in-alligators