Prop: sound of water may be used in the background along with visuals

Song: Wade in the Water

One of my favorite phrases is “I’m up to my neck in alligators.” For some reason that phrase always tickled my funny bone and stuck to my ribs. It means, to be overwrought with deadlines and expectations, to be nearly consumed, to be working to full capacity. It means, “I’m close to drowning in work,” “I’m in nearly over my head,” “I’m in full deep.” Or as we also might say, “If I don’t keep paddling, I’ll be in deep doo-doo.”

What is it like to be in that kind of “deep water?” To be in deep water is to be so engulfed that it’s hard to swim ashore, keep afloat, get solid footing, or gasp for air. The alligators only make it worse, suggesting not only deep water, but swamp water. Or to marry two…