What does "Flat out like a lizard drinking" mean?
It means being extremely busy or working as hard as you can. The lizard comparison adds a bit of humour to the shorter phrase flat out.
Hear an Aussie say it
The saying
Flat out like a lizard drinking
Example
Can't chat now, I'm flat out like a lizard drinking.
How Aussies use it
At work
Nina: Have you got five minutes this arvo?
Luca: Sorry, I'm flat out like a lizard drinking. Tomorrow morning?
Arvo means afternoon. Luca is too busy today.
At a busy cafe
Kate: Busy morning?
Omar: Flat out like a lizard drinking! Your flat white's coming.
A flat white is a coffee with milk.
On the phone
Mum: Are you coming for dinner on Sunday?
Aisha: Love to, but I'm flat out this week. Can we do next week?
Flat out on its own also means very busy.
How to reply
- "No worries, catch you later." Catch you later means see you later.
- "Need a hand?" Offer to help if you can.
When to use it
Use it to tell someone you are very busy, with a bit of humour. It works with friends, family and workmates.
When not to use it
In a formal update to your boss or a client, say what you are working on and when you will be free. The saying tells people you are busy, but not when you can help.
Where it comes from
The Australian National Dictionary Centre says the joke plays on two meanings of flat out: lying stretched out flat, like a lizard, and going as fast as you can. It also hints at the quick tongue of a drinking lizard. The phrase is first recorded in the 1930s.
Source: Australian National Dictionary Centre, ANU: flat out like a lizard drinking
Questions about "Flat out like a lizard drinking"
What does flat out mean in Australia?
Very busy, or going as fast as you can. Flat out like a lizard drinking is the longer, funnier version.
Is flat out like a lizard drinking rude?
No. It is a clean, funny saying you can use with almost anyone.
Do Aussies still say it?
Yes. It is sometimes shortened to flat out like a lizard, and you will also hear just flat out, which means very busy.
