1.
being frantically busy; having one's hands full; rushing around
A state of being so busy that one is scrambling to keep up. The 舞い part comes from the frantic dancing to fast てんてこ festival-drum rhythms. Often used with だ, で, or する.
毎日てんてこ舞いだ。
I'm frantically busy every day.
年末は店がてんてこ舞いになる。
The shop gets swamped at the end of the year.
急な注文が重なり、スタッフはてんてこ舞いだった。
With rush orders piling up, the staff had their hands full.
An informal, vivid word for frantic busyness. Frequently appears as てんてこ舞いだ or てんてこ舞いになる.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- てんてこ舞いになる: to become swamped
- てんてこ舞いの忙しさ: frantic busyness
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 大忙し: extremely busy — plainer; てんてこ舞い adds a sense of flustered rushing around