have full hands

English

Verb

have full hands (third-person singular simple present has full hands, present participle having full hands, simple past and past participle had full hands)

1. Synonym of have one's hands full (“to be busy”)
   • 1931, Caroline Gardner, Clever Country: Kentucky Mountain Trails, page 115:

     As still more patients were in the offing, the staff continued to be busy right through the noon hour. And as usual when everyone has full hands, there came a message from Wendover which had to be relayed immediately to Flat Creek.