Drinking from a Fire Hose (Idioms)

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Welcome to English in a Minute!

A fire hose releases huge amounts of water to help put out fires. So, why would someone be drinking from a fire hose?

Speaker A: So, how has work training been going, Dan?
Speaker B: I feel like I’m drinking from a fire hose. Ten hours every single day, is a lot.
Speaker A: Wow. Things sure are different from when I started. Back then, training was more like drinking from a little small straw.
Speaker B: Wow. Must have been nice. That sounds a lot easier.

If someone says they are “drinking from a fire hose”, they are feeling overwhelmed. They don’t feel like they can keep up with everything they must do or learn.

And that’s English in a Minute!

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*This article has been edited and reprinted from VOA Learning English with permission from Voice of America (VOA) for use in English language materials.