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eyeball
up to (one's) eyeballs (in something)
Extremely busy (with something); deeply or overly involved (in something); possessing, filled up with, or overwhelmed by an excessive amount (of something). There's no way I can take a vacation right now, I'm up to my eyeballs in work at the moment! I only meant to be peripherally involved in David's business venture, but, before I knew it, I was in up to my eyeballs! Dana was worried she wouldn't find any work as an accountant working for herself, but she's up to her eyeballs in clients!
eyeball-to-eyeball
Fig. face-to-face and often very close; in person. They approached each other eyeball-to-eyeball and frowned. Let's talk more when we are eyeball-to-eyeball.
*up to one's eyeballs
(in something) Go to up to one's neck (in something).
*up to one's neck (in something)
and *up to one's ears (in something); *up to one's eyeballs (in something)having a lot of something; Fig. very much involved in something; immersed in something. (*Typically: be ~; get ~.) I can't come to the meeting. I'm up to my neck in these reports. Mary is up to her ears in her work. I am up to my eyeballs in things to do! I can't do any more!
eyeball to eyeball
if you are eyeball to eyeball with an enemy or someone that you are arguing with, you deal with them in a direct way Troops on the ground are likely to remain eyeball to eyeball for a while yet.
be up to your ears/eyeballs/eyes in something
(British, American & Australian) also be up to your chin in something (American) to have too much of something, especially work We're up to our eyeballs in decorating at the moment.
eyeball to eyeball
Face to face; especially, about to begin a conflict. For example, We are eyeball to eyeball with the enemy, or In the playoffs we go eyeball to eyeball with the Yankees, or In the first debate our candidate's going eyeball to eyeball with his opponent. This term was originally used only in a military context but later entered civilian language, particularly in political or sports confrontations. [Colloquial; c. 1950]
up to one's ears
Also, in up to one's eyes or eyeballs or neck . Deeply involved; also, oversupplied, surfeited. For example, I'm up to my ears in work, or He's in up to his eyes with the in-laws. This hyperbolic and slangy idiom implies one is flooded with something up to those organs. The first was first recorded in 1839; up to the eyes in 1778; to the eyeballs in 1911; to the neck in 1856.
eyeball
tv. to look hard at someone or something. The two eyeballed each other and walked on.
eyeball to eyeball
mod. face to face. Let’s talk more when we are eyeball to eyeball.
get an eyeball on someone/something
tv. to manage to spot someone or something; to catch sight of someone or something. When I finally got an eyeball on the speeding car, it was too far away for me to read the license plate.
up to one’s eyeballs
and up to one’s ears mod. filled up with something. We are up to our eyeballs with trouble around here. She’s up to her ears in marriage proposals.
up to (one's) neck
Deeply involved or occupied fully: I'm up to my neck in paperwork.