irons in the fire, too many

1. Too many activities or undertakings at once. For example, Bill's got too many irons in the fire to cope with moving this year. This expression originally referred to the blacksmith heating too many irons at once and therefore spoiling some in the forging. [Mid-1500s]

Example Sentences

But they were men who had a good many irons in the fire—too many and some of them far too hot, as it turned out—and I suppose they left this little affair until an opportune moment.

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