drowning in paperwork
Meaning
To be overwhelmed by a large amount of administrative documents and tasks.
Origin
A metaphor comparing having too much paperwork to drowning in water—suggesting you can’t keep up and feel submerged by administrative tasks.
Notes
Conveys stress/complaint about being overloaded with admin tasks. Common in workplace conversation; informal to neutral.
Examples
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I can’t join you for lunch—I’m drowning in paperwork before the audit.
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Since the merger, our team has been drowning in paperwork every week.
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She hired an assistant because she was drowning in paperwork and missing deadlines.
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If we don’t digitize these forms, we’ll keep drowning in paperwork all year.
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After the accident, he found himself drowning in paperwork from the insurance company.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Usually used as “be drowning in paperwork.” Can be intensified (absolutely/completely) or modified (paperwork/emails/forms). Not typically used without “be.”
Synonyms
- swamped with paperwork
- buried in paperwork
- up to my ears in paperwork
- snowed under with paperwork
Antonyms
- on top of the paperwork
- caught up (on paperwork)