In over his head

Posted by Brian from Shawnee on June 04, 2004

In Reply to: In over his head posted by Ward on June 04, 2004

: : I would appreciate some help for the meaning of the following sentence.
: : This is about a defense lawyer fighting the plaintiff's one in a courtroom:
: : "Belk couldn't be over thirty. Maybe five years max out of a middle-range law school and in over his head going up against Chandler"
: : Thanks for your help.

: 'in over his head' is an expression which indicates someone is in a situation beyond their capability to handle. It suggests swimming, where someone who can't swim gets into deep water and drowns as a result.

Yes, but the person who's in over his head doesn't always drown. Sometimes they are rescued, sometimes they make it back to shore exhausted and frightened, and sometimes they drown. But they're certainly "at the risk" of drowning.

• In over his head MichaelFR 04/June/04
  • In over his head ESC 05/June/04