Have you ever had one of those weeks in which you just have entirely too much to do? A week in which you feel that your to-do list grows exponentially, even though you have already crossed off at least a dozen tasks? Doesn't matter whether the to-do list is for work or for personal stuff, or even both. Yes, I've just had one of those weeks in which I'm completely swamped.

"Swamped" brings up images of marshlands, washing over me. Being swept away by mud certainly does not sound like a pleasant experience. But then, having too much to do is also not pleasant. "Swamped" is one of those idioms that has even made it into standard dictionary definitions, such as Merriam-Webster (ref: http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/swamped), "to overwhelm numerically or by an excess of something: flood ."

The direct German translation of "swamp" is "Sumpf." However, no one would use Sumpf to indicate being overwhelmed. Instead, I would say that I am "unter Wasser," or under water. While the imagery is similar, with some kind of liquid washing over me, the German idiom does not connotate mud or muck. A typical statement would be, "ich bin bei der Arbeit komplett unter Wasser," or "at work, I am completely swamped."

To take the word Sumpf one step farther, Germans have been known to say "ich bin versumpft," literally translating into "becoming marshy." At first glance, that would have been the logical translation of being swamped, or under water. But since when has language, and especially idioms been logical? "Ich bin gestern versumpft" actually translates to "Yesterday, I stayed out late, drinking."

Right now, although I am still swamped, I will leave my to-do list for the rest of the day, and experience another way of being under water. See you at the pool.