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Full up to the gills

Posted by SR on October 22, 2004

In Reply to: Full up to the gills posted by Henry on October 17, 2004

: : Edit: My last post was referring to " up in his grill". The original question "up to my grill" I have heard refers to one's teeth. A variation of the phrase " I've had it up to here with...(x)..", meaning that the speaker has become angered.
: : Another instance in which "grille" refers to teeth is in an informal phrase which someone is alerted that they have an unsightly piece of food stuck in their teeth: "Hey man, you still got some meat on your grill!". If the offending piece is vegetable matter, the phrase is "Hey man, looks like you got some spice in your rack!"

: Back to the original enquiry from gille.
: "I am full up to the gills" means that I have eaten all that I can. I assume it refers to the position of the gills of a fish, eqivalent to the neck in a person.

I have heard this as "up to the gills," meaning that one has consumed enough liquid refreshment when one "drinks like a fish."

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