/esˌtaɾ ˌasta el ˈkweʝo/ lit. ‘be up to the neck’
Spanish idiom, everyday. To have a lot of work or problems to deal with at once.
Draft Not yet checked by a native Spanish speaker.
How do people use Estar hasta el cuello
?
Everyday Spanish that works anywhere. On its own it just means you’re in something completely, so for being busy you add what’s piling up: “estoy hasta el cuello de trabajo”, “con los exámenes estoy hasta el cuello”. The same words cover debt (“endeudado hasta el cuello”) and trouble, so the context tells people which flood you’re in.
Estar hasta el cuello
in real sentences
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Estoy hasta el cuello de trabajo.
I’m up to my neck in work.
Tatoeba, sentence by arashi_29, translation by CM, CC BY 2.0 FR
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Estoy hasta el cuello con el trabajo.
I’m snowed under with work.
Tatoeba, sentence by wallebot, translation by CK, CC BY 2.0 FR
Where does Estar hasta el cuello
come from?
The picture is water rising until only your head sticks out, the same as English “up to one’s neck”. English Wiktionary lists “hasta el cuello” as an idiom with that meaning, and Spanish Wiktionary defines it as “completely”. Neither gives a date, and I found no record of when it started.
Mistakes learners make with Estar hasta el cuello
Using “ser” (“soy hasta el cuello”): this is a temporary state, so it’s always “estar”. Learners also drop “de trabajo” and leave the listener guessing whether they mean work, debt or problems.
Other Spanish idioms like Estar hasta el cuello
Spot a mistake in Estar hasta el cuello
?
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