Traders at a Stock Exchange in Brazil. Photo: Inacio Texeira / AP
Today's Phrase
If you're up against it, you're extremely busy with a tight deadline to meet.
For example:
I'm sorry I'll call you later. I'm really up against it today.
He's got lots to do today. He's really up against it.
I was up against it last week. Sorry I didn't have time to see you.
Don't confuse it with
Another similar phrase is to race against the clock. That means trying to achieve or finish a task in a set amount of time.
It's a race against the clock. I don't think I'm going to have this presentation done in time.
Interesting fact
According to figures issued by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 2011 people in Greece, Hungary and Poland worked the most hours per week in Europe.
