What does it Mean to ‘Have Many Irons in the Fire’?

To have too many irons in the fire means to have more tasks than you can handle; to do many things or activities simultaneously.

This expression comes from a blacksmith heating too many iron rods at once and therefore spoiling some in the forging. Some other phrases conveying a similar meaning are “to have too many plates spinning” and “to have a lot on one’s plate”.

Let’s see an example —

“I am feeling stressed at work for the past 3 months — I have had too many irons in the fire lately”.

It means that I have been involved in lots of projects in the last 3 months, so I am stressed out.

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Hi, I am Gauri Shanker, a Vocab teacher and enthusiast. I teach vocabulary in a fun and engaging way. You can check out my courses here.