Adam Sharp: My favourite phrase for being busy from the US South is “I'm as busy as a one-legged cat in a sandbox.” My favourite Aussie variant is a toss-up between “flat out like a lizard drinking” and “as busy as a centipede on a hot plate.” Anybody know some fun ones from other languages?

My favourite phrase for being busy from the US South is “I'm as busy as a one-legged cat in a sandbox.” My favourite Aussie variant is a toss-up between “flat out like a lizard drinking” and “as busy as a centipede on a hot plate.” Anybody know some fun ones from other languages?

in turkish we say “götümde ayı bağırıyor” which means “a bear is shouting on my ass”

This is my new favourite - thank you! Is it a well-known expression, if you don’t mind be asking?

yes it is well-known, yet not very usable for every situation. it’s more appropriate for streets since “ass” part is very vulgar

😂

In Italian you say “non do il resto”, ie “I can’t give out any change” like you’re the busiest cashier ever

Ha - that is excellent! Thank you (I'm well on my way to having enough phrases for a proper list now)

One-legged man at an ass-kicking competition (IIRC, Archie Goodwin said that in one of the Nero Wolfe novels) Here (Oklahoma) I have heard “covered up in alligators” which is a euphemism for “up to your ass in alligators” (Of course this is American English so we say ass instead of arse)

Another Okieism is nervous (or busy) as a cat in a room full of rockin chairs.

In Japanese you're so busy that you'd even want to borrow a cat's hand. (And wow, cats are really good at following orders and lending a hand/paw! 😸) Neko no te mo karitai.

In Hebrew מסתובב כמו פורפרה, “spinning around like a top”. Really it’s only funny because it’s an archaic word for spinning top - Forfera, from Arabic - which is only still used in this expression. Was cemented in a skit by comedy group Hagashash Hachiver who contributed massively to Hebrew slang.

Thank you! Is it a common expression, would you say?

Yes, though it will date you as belonging to a certain generation.

In Sweden you can shit in a blue cupboard. Skita i det blå skåpet. It means make a blunder, to overstep.

"I'm running around like a blue-arsed fly" (I e. a bluebottle) Possibly Northern Irish, I only ever heard my Mum say it!

Actually, looks like it's quite a bit older, and British in origin wordhistories.net/2018/04/25/b...

meaning and origin of ‘like a blue-arsed fly’wordhistories.net British English, armed forces, 1936—With reference to the bluebottle fly, the colloquial phrase ‘like a blue-arsed fly’ is used to describe someone engaged in constant, frantic activity or movement.

Here is a list of Aussie expressions, my favorite is the final one of course: youtu.be/r-v9Aeb7Pr0?...

Twelve Foot Ninja - ONE HAND KILLING (Official Video)youtu.be TO SKIP INTRO CLICK HERE: https://youtu.be/r-v9Aeb7Pr0?t=2m11sJoin #TwelveFootNinja's mailing list here: https://www.twelvefootninja.com/sign-up#ONEHANDKILLI...

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