Idiom: I feel like I am juggling frogs here

Englander · Wed May 28, 2008 19:51 pm *Idiom: I feel like I am juggling frogs here*

English Language Proficiency Tests, Advanced Level

ESL/EFL Test #526 "English Slang Idioms (110)", question 8

"Tim expects me to simultaneously talk to the customer on the phone, resolve his or her's case, and get my daily assignments done. I feel like I am ......... here," Linus told Chris.

(a) treading waters
(b) juggling frogs
(c) jogging to work
(d) betraying Mother Nature

English Language Proficiency Tests, Advanced Level

ESL/EFL Test #526 "English Slang Idioms (110)", answer 8

"Tim expects me to simultaneously talk to the customer on the phone, resolve his or her's case, and get my daily assignments done. I feel like I am juggling frogs here," Linus told Chris.

Correct answer: (b) juggling frogs

Your answer was: correct
_________________________

I'm a native English speaker who took this test for fun and in my 50+ years I've never heard this phrase.

Englander

Alan · Wed May 28, 2008 19:58 pm *Idiom: I feel like I am juggling frogs here*

Hi,

Thanks for your post and glad you took the test for fun. Perhaps it's an idiom used by our friends across the sea. I must have missed that one.

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Too Many Words

Lost_Soul · Thu May 29, 2008 11:10 am *Idiom: I feel like I am juggling frogs here*

Yankee · Thu May 29, 2008 14:12 pm *Idiom: I feel like I am juggling frogs here*

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I've never heard the expression either.
Perhaps it's regional? Perhaps it's Canadian?

But I imagine the juggling of frogs just might be a tad tricky. Laughing

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Eiva · Fri May 30, 2008 13:56 pm *juggelling frogs?*

Then what is the purpose of using that idiom in such a situation? In other words what's the main meaning of that idiom to be used in such a situation?

Eiva

Yankee · Fri May 30, 2008 14:59 pm *Idiom: I feel like I am juggling frogs here*

Hi Eiva

I've tried to find additional usage information about 'juggling frogs'. Based on the research I've done and the input from native speakers here, the use of this expression as an idiom appears to be extremely limited (i.e. not widely used). Google does provide a couple of usage examples in the UK, though.

Can you imagine a juggler trying to juggle frogs? It would be extremely difficult to do, right? So the intended meaning of 'juggling frogs' in the sentence would be this:
"attempting to do something that is practically impossible to do"
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Yankee · Fri May 30, 2008 19:12 pm *Idiom: I feel like I am juggling frogs here*

Eiva · Fri May 30, 2008 20:18 pm *Idiom: I feel like I am juggling frogs here*

Thank you so much Amy. That's a good explanation

Nola

Ralf · Fri May 30, 2008 21:04 pm *Idiom: I feel like I am juggling frogs here*

Yankee · Fri May 30, 2008 21:12 pm *Idiom: I feel like I am juggling frogs here*

.
I enjoyed the imagery in the expression, too. Trying to juggle is hard enough. But trying to do it with FROGS, of all things?! Now, that would be a very tall order indeed! Shocked

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